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B737-300 flight crew during leveloff experienced an odd odor and the momentary failure of their flight data computer, autoplt normal, and autothrottle, malfunctions. In addition, the altimeter reporting system was not indicating and reporting correctly. However, during descent, and after landing, all system were operating normally.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 512004 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200105 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca.airport |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 36500 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc tower : dfw.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 512004 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : altitude read out aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter/auto pilot functions other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Departed dca in B737-300 to pvd. After takeoff, we detected an acrid smell in cockpit. The smell lessened, it never went away. Numerous times during climb out, ATC asked us to verify our altitude. All 3 altimeters were in sync. Passing 15000 ft, we noticed that the first officer's altimeter (first officer was flying) was 500 ft lower than the other 2 altimeters. We immediately began using the 2 altimeters that agreed. On leveloff, the FMC lost all of its data. The autoplt went into control wheel steering in the pitch mode, and the autothrottles were not available. During the descent, the FMC regained its memory, autoplt auxiliary autothrottles were normal, and on the ground in pvd, all 3 altimeters agreed. Appropriate logbook entries made!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 FLC DURING LEVELOFF EXPERIENCED AN ODD ODOR AND THE MOMENTARY FAILURE OF THEIR FLT DATA COMPUTER, AUTOPLT NORMAL, AND AUTOTHROTTLE, MALFUNCTIONS. IN ADDITION, THE ALTIMETER RPTING SYS WAS NOT INDICATING AND RPTING CORRECTLY. HOWEVER, DURING DSCNT, AND AFTER LNDG, ALL SYS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY.
Narrative: DEPARTED DCA IN B737-300 TO PVD. AFTER TKOF, WE DETECTED AN ACRID SMELL IN COCKPIT. THE SMELL LESSENED, IT NEVER WENT AWAY. NUMEROUS TIMES DURING CLBOUT, ATC ASKED US TO VERIFY OUR ALT. ALL 3 ALTIMETERS WERE IN SYNC. PASSING 15000 FT, WE NOTICED THAT THE FO'S ALTIMETER (FO WAS FLYING) WAS 500 FT LOWER THAN THE OTHER 2 ALTIMETERS. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN USING THE 2 ALTIMETERS THAT AGREED. ON LEVELOFF, THE FMC LOST ALL OF ITS DATA. THE AUTOPLT WENT INTO CTL WHEEL STEERING IN THE PITCH MODE, AND THE AUTOTHROTTLES WERE NOT AVAILABLE. DURING THE DSCNT, THE FMC REGAINED ITS MEMORY, AUTOPLT AUX AUTOTHROTTLES WERE NORMAL, AND ON THE GND IN PVD, ALL 3 ALTIMETERS AGREED. APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES MADE!
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.