Narrative:

On flight from atl to swf, had EFIS failure. First officer's pitch, heading and roll modes all failed approximately 1 hour 30 mins into the flight. At the time we were talking to ZDC, just north of psk. When the EFIS failure occurs you also lose the autoplt, so I immediately began to hand fly while the first officer troubleshot the problem. With me flying and the first officer monitoring, we continued to swf. We were both very 'absorbed' in flying the aircraft by hand as it's something we don't often do. In the process of working through the checklist and trying to get the EFIS back up, we ended up approximately 30 mi from swf at FL330. We contacted swf approach and got a frequency for ZBW. I'm not sure whether dca forgot to hand us off or if we just missed it. Had it not been for the EFIS failure I feel sure we would have caught our error sooner. Further complicating this was the fact that I had a new hire first officer who I was watching more closely than I would have been with someone with more experience. This was our first flight together. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this aircraft has only 1 autoplt which will disengage when either left or right inertial reference data is lost. The reporter said the first officer lost pitch, heading and roll information when the #2 inertial reference unit failed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 IN CRUISE AT FL330 EXPERIENCED LOSS OF THE FO'S EFIS PITCH, HDG AND ROLL INFO CAUSED BY A FAILED INERTIAL REF UNIT.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM ATL TO SWF, HAD EFIS FAILURE. FO'S PITCH, HDG AND ROLL MODES ALL FAILED APPROX 1 HR 30 MINS INTO THE FLT. AT THE TIME WE WERE TALKING TO ZDC, JUST N OF PSK. WHEN THE EFIS FAILURE OCCURS YOU ALSO LOSE THE AUTOPLT, SO I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO HAND FLY WHILE THE FO TROUBLESHOT THE PROB. WITH ME FLYING AND THE FO MONITORING, WE CONTINUED TO SWF. WE WERE BOTH VERY 'ABSORBED' IN FLYING THE ACFT BY HAND AS IT'S SOMETHING WE DON'T OFTEN DO. IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND TRYING TO GET THE EFIS BACK UP, WE ENDED UP APPROX 30 MI FROM SWF AT FL330. WE CONTACTED SWF APCH AND GOT A FREQ FOR ZBW. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER DCA FORGOT TO HAND US OFF OR IF WE JUST MISSED IT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE EFIS FAILURE I FEEL SURE WE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT OUR ERROR SOONER. FURTHER COMPLICATING THIS WAS THE FACT THAT I HAD A NEW HIRE FO WHO I WAS WATCHING MORE CLOSELY THAN I WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH SOMEONE WITH MORE EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS OUR FIRST FLT TOGETHER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS ACFT HAS ONLY 1 AUTOPLT WHICH WILL DISENGAGE WHEN EITHER L OR R INERTIAL REF DATA IS LOST. THE RPTR SAID THE FO LOST PITCH, HDG AND ROLL INFO WHEN THE #2 INERTIAL REF UNIT FAILED.

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.