A lear 31 flight crew experiences an overshoot of their assigned altitude when the autoplt altitude ...

Attributes
ACN	424310
Time
Date	199812
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sie
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20800 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 31
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	424310
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	424311
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Captain's work day began at XX00 am. The event occurred at XY50 pm EST. After a full day of working and 4 1/2 hours of driving to bradley, ct, from mt holly, nj, to pick up the lear 31 from maintenance, he was exhausted. Aircraft was on an IFR flight plan out of bdl in IMC and was cleared to FL200. The autoplt was engaged and the altitude select mode was depressed with a light illuminating the selection. Upon reaching FL200 the altitude capture mode disengaged and the autoplt did not complete the leveloff at FL200. At FL202 the first officer, announced to the captain that the aircraft was not responding via the autoplt command and the altitude was increasing. The aircraft was continuing to climb as the captain began a round-off and started to gain control of the altitude situation. The aircraft may have momentarily hit an altitude of FL208. The captain was descending through 20200 ft and leveling off at FL200 as the boston controller questioned the aircraft's altitude. The first officer reported level at FL200. The situation may have been avoided by both pilots noticing the miss of the altitude hold by the autoplt and better reaction time on both of their parts. Fatigue was a factor due to the long work day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAR 31 FLC EXPERIENCES AN OVERSHOOT OF THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE AUTOPLT ALT CAPTURE TRIPS OFF AND DOES NOT CAPTURE FL200 AS EXPECTED.

Narrative: CAPT'S WORK DAY BEGAN AT XX00 AM. THE EVENT OCCURRED AT XY50 PM EST. AFTER A FULL DAY OF WORKING AND 4 1/2 HRS OF DRIVING TO BRADLEY, CT, FROM MT HOLLY, NJ, TO PICK UP THE LEAR 31 FROM MAINT, HE WAS EXHAUSTED. ACFT WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN OUT OF BDL IN IMC AND WAS CLRED TO FL200. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND THE ALT SELECT MODE WAS DEPRESSED WITH A LIGHT ILLUMINATING THE SELECTION. UPON REACHING FL200 THE ALT CAPTURE MODE DISENGAGED AND THE AUTOPLT DID NOT COMPLETE THE LEVELOFF AT FL200. AT FL202 THE FO, ANNOUNCED TO THE CAPT THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT RESPONDING VIA THE AUTOPLT COMMAND AND THE ALT WAS INCREASING. THE ACFT WAS CONTINUING TO CLB AS THE CAPT BEGAN A ROUND-OFF AND STARTED TO GAIN CTL OF THE ALT SIT. THE ACFT MAY HAVE MOMENTARILY HIT AN ALT OF FL208. THE CAPT WAS DSNDING THROUGH 20200 FT AND LEVELING OFF AT FL200 AS THE BOSTON CTLR QUESTIONED THE ACFT'S ALT. THE FO RPTED LEVEL AT FL200. THE SIT MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY BOTH PLTS NOTICING THE MISS OF THE ALT HOLD BY THE AUTOPLT AND BETTER REACTION TIME ON BOTH OF THEIR PARTS. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR DUE TO THE LONG WORK DAY.

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.

A lear 31 flight crew experiences an overshoot of their assigned altitude when the autoplt altitude capture trips off and does not capture FL200 as expected.