Narrative:

On the ewr 6 departure, runway 4R/left, it calls for heading 060 degrees until 4 DME and then a left turn to 290 degrees, leveloff at 2500 ft. On the B757 the PF calls for climb thrust at 1000 ft AGL. First officer was flying, called for climb thrust which was selected at 1000 ft AGL. Due to the rapid rate of climb of a relatively light B757, the flight director had already captured altitude. The autothrottles then set themselves to maintain speed (the speed at altitude capture which was about 135 KTS). As the first officer leveled at 2500 ft, I increased the speed bug to 250 KTS which should have set the throttles to maintain 250 KTS at 2500 ft, but the throttles increased power so as we leveled, the speed shot up to 300+ KTS. At the same time, I was switching to departure control from tower. Departure gave us a turn to 260 degrees (as we were now scooting further from the track of the 290 degree heading). (We were already in the turn.) I disconnected the autothrottles, pulled the power back (we had also been given a climb to 8000 ft) and told the first officer to climb and bank further to increase rate of turn and decrease speed. There was no reported conflict from ATC. The autothrottle problem was apparently an anomaly as a cycle of the autothrottle switch (twice actually) reset and took care of the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 EXCEEDS THE REQUIRED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT WHILE ON A SID DEP PROC FROM EWR. A TEMPORARY MISUSE AND MALFUNCTION OF THE AUTOTHROTTLE SYS WITH AN IMPROPER CALL FROM THE FO. PIC WAS PNF AND NEW TO EQUIP.

Narrative: ON THE EWR 6 DEP, RWY 4R/L, IT CALLS FOR HDG 060 DEGS UNTIL 4 DME AND THEN A L TURN TO 290 DEGS, LEVELOFF AT 2500 FT. ON THE B757 THE PF CALLS FOR CLB THRUST AT 1000 FT AGL. FO WAS FLYING, CALLED FOR CLB THRUST WHICH WAS SELECTED AT 1000 FT AGL. DUE TO THE RAPID RATE OF CLB OF A RELATIVELY LIGHT B757, THE FLT DIRECTOR HAD ALREADY CAPTURED ALT. THE AUTOTHROTTLES THEN SET THEMSELVES TO MAINTAIN SPD (THE SPD AT ALT CAPTURE WHICH WAS ABOUT 135 KTS). AS THE FO LEVELED AT 2500 FT, I INCREASED THE SPD BUG TO 250 KTS WHICH SHOULD HAVE SET THE THROTTLES TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS AT 2500 FT, BUT THE THROTTLES INCREASED PWR SO AS WE LEVELED, THE SPD SHOT UP TO 300+ KTS. AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS SWITCHING TO DEP CTL FROM TWR. DEP GAVE US A TURN TO 260 DEGS (AS WE WERE NOW SCOOTING FURTHER FROM THE TRACK OF THE 290 DEG HDG). (WE WERE ALREADY IN THE TURN.) I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES, PULLED THE PWR BACK (WE HAD ALSO BEEN GIVEN A CLB TO 8000 FT) AND TOLD THE FO TO CLB AND BANK FURTHER TO INCREASE RATE OF TURN AND DECREASE SPD. THERE WAS NO RPTED CONFLICT FROM ATC. THE AUTOTHROTTLE PROB WAS APPARENTLY AN ANOMALY AS A CYCLE OF THE AUTOTHROTTLE SWITCH (TWICE ACTUALLY) RESET AND TOOK CARE OF THE PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.