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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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B727 flight crew overshot their flight level 400 ft due to distraction of searching for reported traffic. There were no conflicts with other aircraft because of this altitude deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 375830 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : elp |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 375830 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 9620 flight time type : 586 |
| ASRS Report | 375755 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We overshot our leveloff altitude due to inattn to leveloff. We were focused on traffic called out to us by center. Both of us thought automatic level was engauged and in reality it was not. Center called us about our altitude about the time we were going back to FL190. There were no conflicts or deviations required. This event should have never happened but -- 1 factor probably contributing to the problem was not verbalizing engaugement of automatic leveloff. Most newer autoplts have automatic leveloff incorporated in them. This could also be an underlying problem when transitioning to the B727 from an MD80 or B737. Supplemental information from acn 375755: it was determined the 'altitude hold' push button on the block 5 autoplt had not been depressed (altitude warning was set correctly) most probably due to the distraction of looking for the traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 FLC OVERSHOT THEIR FLT LEVEL 400 FT DUE TO DISTR OF SEARCHING FOR RPTED TFC. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT BECAUSE OF THIS ALTDEV.
Narrative: WE OVERSHOT OUR LEVELOFF ALT DUE TO INATTN TO LEVELOFF. WE WERE FOCUSED ON TFC CALLED OUT TO US BY CTR. BOTH OF US THOUGHT AUTO LEVEL WAS ENGAUGED AND IN REALITY IT WAS NOT. CTR CALLED US ABOUT OUR ALT ABOUT THE TIME WE WERE GOING BACK TO FL190. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS OR DEVS REQUIRED. THIS EVENT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED BUT -- 1 FACTOR PROBABLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB WAS NOT VERBALIZING ENGAUGEMENT OF AUTO LEVELOFF. MOST NEWER AUTOPLTS HAVE AUTO LEVELOFF INCORPORATED IN THEM. THIS COULD ALSO BE AN UNDERLYING PROB WHEN TRANSITIONING TO THE B727 FROM AN MD80 OR B737. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 375755: IT WAS DETERMINED THE 'ALT HOLD' PUSH BUTTON ON THE BLOCK 5 AUTOPLT HAD NOT BEEN DEPRESSED (ALT WARNING WAS SET CORRECTLY) MOST PROBABLY DUE TO THE DISTR OF LOOKING FOR THE TFC.
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.