Pilot of an small transport cargo twin lost control of the aircraft during cruise flight when reaching for his lunch box cooler resulting in a loss of altitude and course heading change. Pilot discovered that the autoplt had disconnected and the aircraft was in a steep bank and losing altitude and immediately recovered back to assigned.

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Attributes
ACN	513046
Time
Date	200105
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : een.airport
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7300 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 330 flight time total : 2094 flight time type : 152
ASRS Report	513046
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was VMC at time of incident. I bring a lunch with me in a soft side lunch cooler. I was hungry and reached for my cooler. Its strap was caught in the straps for the seatbelt and my flight bag straps behind the right front seat. The plane was on autoplt, so I continued to free my cooler. While I was doing this, the autoplt disengaged. The plane lost 700 ft of altitude and banked 70 degrees off course to the right. I noticed the increased sound of wind going around the aircraft. I looked up and realized the situation. ZBW then came on radio and asked for confirmation of altitude and course. I told them I was correcting. They asked if everything was ok. I then them it was. After correcting, I hand flew the plane to alb. On the way back to lew, I used the autoplt again, this time without incident. I now keep my cooler in the right front seat.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT CARGO TWIN LOST CTL OF THE ACFT DURING CRUISE FLT WHEN REACHING FOR HIS LUNCH BOX COOLER RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ALT AND COURSE HDG CHANGE. PLT DISCOVERED THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD DISCONNECTED AND THE ACFT WAS IN A STEEP BANK AND LOSING ALT AND IMMEDIATELY RECOVERED BACK TO ASSIGNED.

Narrative: I WAS VMC AT TIME OF INCIDENT. I BRING A LUNCH WITH ME IN A SOFT SIDE LUNCH COOLER. I WAS HUNGRY AND REACHED FOR MY COOLER. ITS STRAP WAS CAUGHT IN THE STRAPS FOR THE SEATBELT AND MY FLT BAG STRAPS BEHIND THE R FRONT SEAT. THE PLANE WAS ON AUTOPLT, SO I CONTINUED TO FREE MY COOLER. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. THE PLANE LOST 700 FT OF ALT AND BANKED 70 DEGS OFF COURSE TO THE R. I NOTICED THE INCREASED SOUND OF WIND GOING AROUND THE ACFT. I LOOKED UP AND REALIZED THE SIT. ZBW THEN CAME ON RADIO AND ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF ALT AND COURSE. I TOLD THEM I WAS CORRECTING. THEY ASKED IF EVERYTHING WAS OK. I THEN THEM IT WAS. AFTER CORRECTING, I HAND FLEW THE PLANE TO ALB. ON THE WAY BACK TO LEW, I USED THE AUTOPLT AGAIN, THIS TIME WITHOUT INCIDENT. I NOW KEEP MY COOLER IN THE R FRONT SEAT.

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.