Narrative:

This is another 'man versus machine' incident, a case of me getting out of sync with the flight director and flight control panel. Departed adw at XA30 local on may/xa/00, ferry flight after passenger charter. Was given relatively low (3000 ft) leveloff, so engaged flight director in 'speed' mode is a climbing mode, and 'heading' modes to help with the leveloff and provide heading guidance while I hand flew the aircraft. Flight director commanded a leveloff at 3000 ft, and I reduced throttles to stay below 250 KIAS. (Our aircraft do not have autothrottles). Stayed at 3000 ft for approximately 1 min. Upon being given a higher altitude, PNF dialed in the new altitude and I advanced the thrust levers for the climb. What I did not do was command some sort of climb mode on the fcp (flight control panel). Speed climbed to 280 KTS before I realized the flight director was not commanding a climb. I pitched up, overriding the command bars, then selected 'speed' mode and 250 KIAS to sync my pitch with the flight director. It was a momentary (10-20 seconds) overspd, but in busy airspace, this could have created a conflict had I not caught the error. An obvious contributing factor is my low time in the CL65, coupled with low time in flight director equipped aircraft. Ironically, that's why I was hand-flying in the first place -- to gain familiarity with the CL65 and its system. The cure is, of course, more hand-flying while using the flight director, while more closely monitoring speed, altitude, etc. Equipping our aircraft with autothrottles would also help. In another bit of irony, major airlines, with their generally more experienced pilots, have more automation and assistance during flight than do regional pilots. This may be a factor in upcoming incidents due to the proliferation of regional jets.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAD SPD DEV.

Narrative: THIS IS ANOTHER 'MAN VERSUS MACHINE' INCIDENT, A CASE OF ME GETTING OUT OF SYNC WITH THE FLT DIRECTOR AND FLT CTL PANEL. DEPARTED ADW AT XA30 LCL ON MAY/XA/00, FERRY FLT AFTER PAX CHARTER. WAS GIVEN RELATIVELY LOW (3000 FT) LEVELOFF, SO ENGAGED FLT DIRECTOR IN 'SPD' MODE IS A CLBING MODE, AND 'HEADING' MODES TO HELP WITH THE LEVELOFF AND PROVIDE HEADING GUIDANCE WHILE I HAND FLEW THE ACFT. FLT DIRECTOR COMMANDED A LEVELOFF AT 3000 FT, AND I REDUCED THROTTLES TO STAY BELOW 250 KIAS. (OUR ACFT DO NOT HAVE AUTOTHROTTLES). STAYED AT 3000 FT FOR APPROX 1 MIN. UPON BEING GIVEN A HIGHER ALT, PNF DIALED IN THE NEW ALT AND I ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS FOR THE CLB. WHAT I DID NOT DO WAS COMMAND SOME SORT OF CLB MODE ON THE FCP (FLT CTL PANEL). SPD CLBED TO 280 KTS BEFORE I REALIZED THE FLT DIRECTOR WAS NOT COMMANDING A CLB. I PITCHED UP, OVERRIDING THE COMMAND BARS, THEN SELECTED 'SPD' MODE AND 250 KIAS TO SYNC MY PITCH WITH THE FLT DIRECTOR. IT WAS A MOMENTARY (10-20 SECONDS) OVERSPD, BUT IN BUSY AIRSPACE, THIS COULD HAVE CREATED A CONFLICT HAD I NOT CAUGHT THE ERROR. AN OBVIOUS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS MY LOW TIME IN THE CL65, COUPLED WITH LOW TIME IN FLT DIRECTOR EQUIPPED ACFT. IRONICALLY, THAT'S WHY I WAS HAND-FLYING IN THE FIRST PLACE -- TO GAIN FAMILIARITY WITH THE CL65 AND ITS SYS. THE CURE IS, OF COURSE, MORE HAND-FLYING WHILE USING THE FLT DIRECTOR, WHILE MORE CLOSELY MONITORING SPD, ALT, ETC. EQUIPPING OUR ACFT WITH AUTOTHROTTLES WOULD ALSO HELP. IN ANOTHER BIT OF IRONY, MAJOR AIRLINES, WITH THEIR GENERALLY MORE EXPERIENCED PLTS, HAVE MORE AUTOMATION AND ASSISTANCE DURING FLT THAN DO REGIONAL PLTS. THIS MAY BE A FACTOR IN UPCOMING INCIDENTS DUE TO THE PROLIFERATION OF REGIONAL JETS.

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.