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An EMB120 flight crew overshoots their assigned altitude when the altitude capture fails to operate as expected 40 NM west of jhw, ny.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 475820 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200006 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 119 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : ns.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 475820 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 476062 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were issued a climb to 17000 ft. I set the altitude alerter. Aircraft was climbing on the autoplt. Autoplt did not capture and thus failed to level off. First officer and I were talking and he was looking at an en route chart. Center advised us of our error as we were climbing through 17700 ft. We descended back to 17000 ft. No conflict with other traffic was created or mentioned by ATC. I feel that I learned a valuable lesson. Being too reliant upon the autoplt leads to complacency. This in turn led to my mistaken altitude deviation. Supplemental information from acn 476062: it was verified that the autoplt was on and selected to the captain's side since it had been used immediately before our altitude change. One of the digits in the analog altitude selector seems to have not been quite centered in the altitude window, even though it was clearly set to 17000 ft. The altitude warning never sounded and the altitude was obviously not captured. We were momentarily distraction looking at our low en route charts to verify our outbound radial at jhw VOR when we got the query from ZOB center. No other aircraft appeared to be present within a 15 mi ring based on TCASII, and ZOB didn't indicate any separation conflicts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB120 FLC OVERSHOOTS THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE ALT CAPTURE FAILS TO OPERATE AS EXPECTED 40 NM W OF JHW, NY.
Narrative: WE WERE ISSUED A CLB TO 17000 FT. I SET THE ALT ALERTER. ACFT WAS CLBING ON THE AUTOPLT. AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE AND THUS FAILED TO LEVEL OFF. FO AND I WERE TALKING AND HE WAS LOOKING AT AN ENRTE CHART. CTR ADVISED US OF OUR ERROR AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 17700 FT. WE DSNDED BACK TO 17000 FT. NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC WAS CREATED OR MENTIONED BY ATC. I FEEL THAT I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. BEING TOO RELIANT UPON THE AUTOPLT LEADS TO COMPLACENCY. THIS IN TURN LED TO MY MISTAKEN ALTDEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476062: IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS ON AND SELECTED TO THE CAPT'S SIDE SINCE IT HAD BEEN USED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OUR ALT CHANGE. ONE OF THE DIGITS IN THE ANALOG ALT SELECTOR SEEMS TO HAVE NOT BEEN QUITE CTRED IN THE ALT WINDOW, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CLRLY SET TO 17000 FT. THE ALT WARNING NEVER SOUNDED AND THE ALT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT CAPTURED. WE WERE MOMENTARILY DISTR LOOKING AT OUR LOW ENRTE CHARTS TO VERIFY OUR OUTBOUND RADIAL AT JHW VOR WHEN WE GOT THE QUERY FROM ZOB CTR. NO OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO BE PRESENT WITHIN A 15 MI RING BASED ON TCASII, AND ZOB DIDN'T INDICATE ANY SEPARATION CONFLICTS.
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.