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A C560 crew, trying to escape strong headwinds, requested and received a clearance to FL430. During the climb aircraft performance declined, a lower altitude was requested.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 531514 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200112 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : czyz.artcc |
| State Reference | ON |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 42300 msl bound upper : 43000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : czyz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Citation V |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 531514 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were climbing to FL390 after departing teb. After checking the flight manual, we decided to continue our climb to FL430 to find an altitude where the winds were not as strong. We were cleared to FL430. As we climbed the last 300 ft to FL430, our airspeed began to decay rapidly. At this time, we were given a frequency change to toronto center. We leveled off at FL430 and our airspeed did not increase and we began to hear the rumble of an impending stall. I disconnected the autoplt and initiated a descent to increase our airspeed. The copilot changed radio frequencys and after a moment of hesitation about what to say, when he checked in, I keyed the microphone and told the controller that we were descending out of FL430 for FL410. After a moment of confusion, the controller cleared us to descend to FL410. I feel, I should have made myself more clear to the controller that we were unable to maintain FL430 and were deviating from our original clearance. During this occurrence, we deviated approximately 700 ft from FL430 before receiving a new clearance. I believe that had we not initiated an immediate descent, the aircraft would have stalled.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C560 CREW, TRYING TO ESCAPE STRONG HEADWINDS, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO FL430. DURING THE CLB ACFT PERFORMANCE DECLINED, A LOWER ALT WAS REQUESTED.
Narrative: WE WERE CLBING TO FL390 AFTER DEPARTING TEB. AFTER CHKING THE FLT MANUAL, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE OUR CLB TO FL430 TO FIND AN ALT WHERE THE WINDS WERE NOT AS STRONG. WE WERE CLRED TO FL430. AS WE CLBED THE LAST 300 FT TO FL430, OUR AIRSPD BEGAN TO DECAY RAPIDLY. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO TORONTO CTR. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL430 AND OUR AIRSPD DID NOT INCREASE AND WE BEGAN TO HEAR THE RUMBLE OF AN IMPENDING STALL. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND INITIATED A DSCNT TO INCREASE OUR AIRSPD. THE COPLT CHANGED RADIO FREQS AND AFTER A MOMENT OF HESITATION ABOUT WHAT TO SAY, WHEN HE CHKED IN, I KEYED THE MIKE AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF FL430 FOR FL410. AFTER A MOMENT OF CONFUSION, THE CTLR CLRED US TO DSND TO FL410. I FEEL, I SHOULD HAVE MADE MYSELF MORE CLR TO THE CTLR THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FL430 AND WERE DEVIATING FROM OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC. DURING THIS OCCURRENCE, WE DEVIATED APPROX 700 FT FROM FL430 BEFORE RECEIVING A NEW CLRNC. I BELIEVE THAT HAD WE NOT INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT, THE ACFT WOULD HAVE STALLED.
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.