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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of a cargo B727 inadvertently climbed from assigned altitude during intercept for a CAT ii ILS approach when the first officer inadvertently engaged the autoplt coupler in the manual GS mode instead of the automatic approach mode. Correction was made back to assigned altitude and there was no comment from ATC as it was early morning hours with no other traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 431445 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : afw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3450 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d10.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 16l |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 4270 |
| ASRS Report | 431445 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a scheduled flight from iah-afw with first officer flying, we were conducting a CAT ii system check to runway 16L at afw. We were VMC and level at 3000 ft MSL when given the final intercept heading to intercept the localizer and told to maintain 3000 ft until established. At this point we both switched our flight directors to approach mode. The first officer switched to approach mode on autoplt selector. Aircraft started a violent pitch up and I told first officer to disconnect and watch airspeed. He was slow to do so and we had climbed 450 ft (3450 ft) before we had aircraft leveled off. We returned aircraft to 3000 ft and re-engaged autoplt. Autoplt performed normally and a successful approach was completed. I think the first officer may have switched autoplt selector through the automatic approach mode to manual GS mode causing the aircraft to pitch up to try and get to GS (we were below it). I cautioned him to be careful about this on re-engage and he acknowledged he would and that he may have switched to manual GS the first time. Since it was a test of the autoplt, I think we both allowed autoplt to pitch aircraft more than normal to see what it would do and see if it would correct back. There was no other traffic in immediate area and approach made no comment about altitude. As captain, next time I will not allow aircraft to deviate so much, even in a test situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A CARGO B727 INADVERTENTLY CLBED FROM ASSIGNED ALT DURING INTERCEPT FOR A CAT II ILS APCH WHEN THE FO INADVERTENTLY ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT COUPLER IN THE MANUAL GS MODE INSTEAD OF THE AUTO APCH MODE. CORRECTION WAS MADE BACK TO ASSIGNED ALT AND THERE WAS NO COMMENT FROM ATC AS IT WAS EARLY MORNING HRS WITH NO OTHER TFC.
Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM IAH-AFW WITH FO FLYING, WE WERE CONDUCTING A CAT II SYS CHK TO RWY 16L AT AFW. WE WERE VMC AND LEVEL AT 3000 FT MSL WHEN GIVEN THE FINAL INTERCEPT HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED. AT THIS POINT WE BOTH SWITCHED OUR FLT DIRECTORS TO APCH MODE. THE FO SWITCHED TO APCH MODE ON AUTOPLT SELECTOR. ACFT STARTED A VIOLENT PITCH UP AND I TOLD FO TO DISCONNECT AND WATCH AIRSPD. HE WAS SLOW TO DO SO AND WE HAD CLBED 450 FT (3450 FT) BEFORE WE HAD ACFT LEVELED OFF. WE RETURNED ACFT TO 3000 FT AND RE-ENGAGED AUTOPLT. AUTOPLT PERFORMED NORMALLY AND A SUCCESSFUL APCH WAS COMPLETED. I THINK THE FO MAY HAVE SWITCHED AUTOPLT SELECTOR THROUGH THE AUTO APCH MODE TO MANUAL GS MODE CAUSING THE ACFT TO PITCH UP TO TRY AND GET TO GS (WE WERE BELOW IT). I CAUTIONED HIM TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THIS ON RE-ENGAGE AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED HE WOULD AND THAT HE MAY HAVE SWITCHED TO MANUAL GS THE FIRST TIME. SINCE IT WAS A TEST OF THE AUTOPLT, I THINK WE BOTH ALLOWED AUTOPLT TO PITCH ACFT MORE THAN NORMAL TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD DO AND SEE IF IT WOULD CORRECT BACK. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN IMMEDIATE AREA AND APCH MADE NO COMMENT ABOUT ALT. AS CAPT, NEXT TIME I WILL NOT ALLOW ACFT TO DEVIATE SO MUCH, EVEN IN A TEST SIT.
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.