 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
MU2 pilot has altitude excursion when engaging faulty autoplt. Conflicts with military MU30 pilot who follows TCASII RA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 402119 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cme |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | MU-2 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Mitsubishi Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 10200 flight time type : 355 |
| ASRS Report | 402119 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : regained aircraft control other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15000 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departed roswell, NM, and moderate to occasionally severe turbulence was forecasted below 15000 ft. I was on departure off roswell and experienced light to moderate turbulence on climb out. At about XA15 I was instructed by roswell departure to maintain 14000 ft and was handed off ZAB approximately 20-30 NM northwest of chisum VORTAC, and reported climbing to 14000 ft. Center inquired as to how long it would take to reach 16000 ft (my final altitude) and I replied 4-5 mins. The controller's response was to maintain 14000 ft and proceed direct to corona VORTAC, pilot navigation. At approximately XA20 I reached 14000 ft and trimmed for altitude. I then went to the autoplt and selected autoplt on, heading on, and altitude hold on. The aircraft immediately went into an uncommanded left bank of approximately 20 degrees. My first response was to disconnect the autoplt by the control yoke autoplt disconnect button and level the wings. My second response took my attention down to the autoplt controller at the center console and I began to check the status of the turn knob and roll trim. I then glanced up to the altitude indicator and altimeter and noticed 14400 ft. Simultaneously the ZAB controller called nxxx to verify my altitude was 14000 ft. My response was that I was in a thermal and correcting to 14000 ft. The center controller then issued maintain 14000 ft and turn right heading 010 degrees. I did so. My understanding is that another aircraft (type unknown to me) had a TCASII alert and responded appropriately to its instructions. After approximately 30 seconds on heading 010 degrees and 14000 ft, the ZAB controller issued direct corona VORTAC climb and maintain 16000 ft instructions and I complied. The autoplt did not operate properly the rest of the trip. The problem/conflict occurred from distracting myself from maintaining aircraft heading and altitude control. Additionally, if the aircraft would have had an altitude select/alert installed the excursion would have been alleviated.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MU2 PLT HAS ALT EXCURSION WHEN ENGAGING FAULTY AUTOPLT. CONFLICTS WITH MIL MU30 PLT WHO FOLLOWS TCASII RA.
Narrative: DEPARTED ROSWELL, NM, AND MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY SEVERE TURB WAS FORECASTED BELOW 15000 FT. I WAS ON DEP OFF ROSWELL AND EXPERIENCED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB ON CLBOUT. AT ABOUT XA15 I WAS INSTRUCTED BY ROSWELL DEP TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT AND WAS HANDED OFF ZAB APPROX 20-30 NM NW OF CHISUM VORTAC, AND RPTED CLBING TO 14000 FT. CTR INQUIRED AS TO HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO REACH 16000 FT (MY FINAL ALT) AND I REPLIED 4-5 MINS. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT AND PROCEED DIRECT TO CORONA VORTAC, PLT NAV. AT APPROX XA20 I REACHED 14000 FT AND TRIMMED FOR ALT. I THEN WENT TO THE AUTOPLT AND SELECTED AUTOPLT ON, HDG ON, AND ALT HOLD ON. THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO AN UNCOMMANDED L BANK OF APPROX 20 DEGS. MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT BY THE CTL YOKE AUTOPLT DISCONNECT BUTTON AND LEVEL THE WINGS. MY SECOND RESPONSE TOOK MY ATTN DOWN TO THE AUTOPLT CTLR AT THE CTR CONSOLE AND I BEGAN TO CHK THE STATUS OF THE TURN KNOB AND ROLL TRIM. I THEN GLANCED UP TO THE ALT INDICATOR AND ALTIMETER AND NOTICED 14400 FT. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ZAB CTLR CALLED NXXX TO VERIFY MY ALT WAS 14000 FT. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT I WAS IN A THERMAL AND CORRECTING TO 14000 FT. THE CTR CTLR THEN ISSUED MAINTAIN 14000 FT AND TURN R HDG 010 DEGS. I DID SO. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ANOTHER ACFT (TYPE UNKNOWN TO ME) HAD A TCASII ALERT AND RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY TO ITS INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS ON HDG 010 DEGS AND 14000 FT, THE ZAB CTLR ISSUED DIRECT CORONA VORTAC CLB AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT INSTRUCTIONS AND I COMPLIED. THE AUTOPLT DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY THE REST OF THE TRIP. THE PROB/CONFLICT OCCURRED FROM DISTRACTING MYSELF FROM MAINTAINING ACFT HDG AND ALT CTL. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE ACFT WOULD HAVE HAD AN ALT SELECT/ALERT INSTALLED THE EXCURSION WOULD HAVE BEEN ALLEVIATED.
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.