Narrative:

While doing cockpit preparation for flight ZZZ-sfo, had 'no land 3' displayed. Could not reset, which means something affecting land 3 operation was faulty. While waiting for maintenance to mco or defer the situation, they discovered the left ILS was faulty. In a couple of mins, the first officer's flight director was biased out of view. Couple of mins later, after these 2 items had been deferred, the lights for the right autoplt on the MCP went out and would not test. They tried a new FCC on the right side, no help. Next, the first officer orange speed bug disappeared. They finally changed the MCP, removed all the mco's and we had a normal flight. This MCP was devouring itself before our eyes. Had the failure sequence been in 30 min increments instead of 3 min increments, we would have been in cruise when all these things began quitting, and no one knows how far it would have gone. This could prove disastrous -- to have an MCP eat itself in-flight. It is how we communicate with the autoplt, flight director, altitude selection, and speed selection. Of course, if all that fails, you can still fly it like a basic airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 PARKED ON GATE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS FAULTS IN THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS DUE TO THE AUTOPLT MCP MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: WHILE DOING COCKPIT PREPARATION FOR FLT ZZZ-SFO, HAD 'NO LAND 3' DISPLAYED. COULD NOT RESET, WHICH MEANS SOMETHING AFFECTING LAND 3 OP WAS FAULTY. WHILE WAITING FOR MAINT TO MCO OR DEFER THE SIT, THEY DISCOVERED THE L ILS WAS FAULTY. IN A COUPLE OF MINS, THE FO'S FLT DIRECTOR WAS BIASED OUT OF VIEW. COUPLE OF MINS LATER, AFTER THESE 2 ITEMS HAD BEEN DEFERRED, THE LIGHTS FOR THE R AUTOPLT ON THE MCP WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT TEST. THEY TRIED A NEW FCC ON THE R SIDE, NO HELP. NEXT, THE FO ORANGE SPD BUG DISAPPEARED. THEY FINALLY CHANGED THE MCP, REMOVED ALL THE MCO'S AND WE HAD A NORMAL FLT. THIS MCP WAS DEVOURING ITSELF BEFORE OUR EYES. HAD THE FAILURE SEQUENCE BEEN IN 30 MIN INCREMENTS INSTEAD OF 3 MIN INCREMENTS, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CRUISE WHEN ALL THESE THINGS BEGAN QUITTING, AND NO ONE KNOWS HOW FAR IT WOULD HAVE GONE. THIS COULD PROVE DISASTROUS -- TO HAVE AN MCP EAT ITSELF INFLT. IT IS HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE AUTOPLT, FLT DIRECTOR, ALT SELECTION, AND SPD SELECTION. OF COURSE, IF ALL THAT FAILS, YOU CAN STILL FLY IT LIKE A BASIC AIRPLANE.

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.