 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An A300-600 flight crew overshot their assigned altitude when the autoplt altitude capture failed to perform as expected. Crew was busy with other tasks.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 399390 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11001 msl bound upper : 11450 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 399390 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 650 |
| ASRS Report | 399391 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
We departed ewr runway 22L, first officer flying, on a SID. Departure control gave us numerous heading and altitude changes which the captain input while first officer was hand flying. Autoplt was turned on through 10000 ft and at about that time we were given a 250 KT speed control. The captain was on the radio with ATC and programming the FMS. Just after that we were given a new heading. I looked up at the flight control panel to dial in the new heading and at that time the altitude alert sounded at 11300 ft (we were cleared to 11000 ft). Both pilots immediately started to initiate the descent with the captain actually turning off the autoplt. The airplane was leveled at 11000 ft with no known conflicts. In hindsight, I should have engaged the autoplt sooner in such a high workload environment. I believe we were climbing so fast that it was having problems capturing. With the captain looking at the FMC and me looking at the fcp at just the wrong time, we both failed to notice that it wasn't capturing. I believe the many new instructions from ATC during an already very busy period also contributed. Supplemental information from acn 399391: approaching 10000 ft we were given a new heading of 360 degrees and an airspeed restr of 250 KIAS until further advised. The captain at that point went heads down to insert the 250 KT airspeed into the FMS, while also noting and verifying 'passing 10000 ft for 11000 ft.' we both expected the aircraft to level off at 11000 ft. We quickly disconnected the autoplt with the altimeter peaking out at 11450 ft MSL. They did subsequently explain, in an apologetic manner, for all the vectoring, etc. As a 2 person crew, I felt we were in control of the aircraft and situation except for the expectation that the autoplt would level the aircraft. A more closely monitored leveloff may have prevented the deviation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A300-600 FLC OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE AUTOPLT ALT CAPTURE FAILED TO PERFORM AS EXPECTED. CREW WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TASKS.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED EWR RWY 22L, FO FLYING, ON A SID. DEP CTL GAVE US NUMEROUS HDG AND ALT CHANGES WHICH THE CAPT INPUT WHILE FO WAS HAND FLYING. AUTOPLT WAS TURNED ON THROUGH 10000 FT AND AT ABOUT THAT TIME WE WERE GIVEN A 250 KT SPD CTL. THE CAPT WAS ON THE RADIO WITH ATC AND PROGRAMMING THE FMS. JUST AFTER THAT WE WERE GIVEN A NEW HDG. I LOOKED UP AT THE FLT CTL PANEL TO DIAL IN THE NEW HDG AND AT THAT TIME THE ALT ALERT SOUNDED AT 11300 FT (WE WERE CLRED TO 11000 FT). BOTH PLTS IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO INITIATE THE DSCNT WITH THE CAPT ACTUALLY TURNING OFF THE AUTOPLT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LEVELED AT 11000 FT WITH NO KNOWN CONFLICTS. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT SOONER IN SUCH A HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT. I BELIEVE WE WERE CLBING SO FAST THAT IT WAS HAVING PROBS CAPTURING. WITH THE CAPT LOOKING AT THE FMC AND ME LOOKING AT THE FCP AT JUST THE WRONG TIME, WE BOTH FAILED TO NOTICE THAT IT WASN'T CAPTURING. I BELIEVE THE MANY NEW INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC DURING AN ALREADY VERY BUSY PERIOD ALSO CONTRIBUTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 399391: APCHING 10000 FT WE WERE GIVEN A NEW HDG OF 360 DEGS AND AN AIRSPD RESTR OF 250 KIAS UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. THE CAPT AT THAT POINT WENT HEADS DOWN TO INSERT THE 250 KT AIRSPD INTO THE FMS, WHILE ALSO NOTING AND VERIFYING 'PASSING 10000 FT FOR 11000 FT.' WE BOTH EXPECTED THE ACFT TO LEVEL OFF AT 11000 FT. WE QUICKLY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT WITH THE ALTIMETER PEAKING OUT AT 11450 FT MSL. THEY DID SUBSEQUENTLY EXPLAIN, IN AN APOLOGETIC MANNER, FOR ALL THE VECTORING, ETC. AS A 2 PERSON CREW, I FELT WE WERE IN CTL OF THE ACFT AND SIT EXCEPT FOR THE EXPECTATION THAT THE AUTOPLT WOULD LEVEL THE ACFT. A MORE CLOSELY MONITORED LEVELOFF MAY HAVE PREVENTED THE DEV.
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.