Narrative:

Reporter had been advised he would be PIC and sole pilot on flight from aspen, co, to van nuys, ca, and had filed IFR flight plan electronically on previous evening. Shortly before departure from ase, aircraft owner (commercial pilot, current in aircraft) advised reporter that he (aircraft owner) assumed command and would fly this flight as PIC, with reporter as first officer/PNF. At this time, flight plan had already been transmitted to ZDV, thus preventing reporter from changing 'pilot name' filed on flight plan. During descent into vny area, airplane was under control of socal approach and was established on vector heading with clearance to intercept ILS final approach course and make visual approach to runway 16R at vny. Altitude was restr to 6000 ft MSL until passing VFR traffic. Airplane was descending to 6000 ft MSL under command of PIC. Autoplt (collins ap-106/FD112V) engaged in heading mode with altitude preselector set to 6000 ft. Approach mode was armed. Approximately upon intercepting ILS final course, while PIC's attention was directed to programming GPS and first officer's attention was directed outside in attempt to visually acquire traffic, autoplt automatically coupled to both localizer and ILS GS and commenced further descent to capture GS. ATC alerted crew to altitude deviation upon reaching approximately 5500 ft. First officer took command of aircraft, disengaged autoplt, and maintained altitude until being cleared for further descent. PIC resumed command of airplane, continued approach, and made landing. Reporter thinks that communication needs to be clrer between PIC and first officer regarding both currently selected and armed modes of autoplt/flight director system. Better PIC understanding of ILS approach arm and capture criteria, including fact that this model autoplt/flight director will capture ILS GS from above as well as from below. Stress that in visual situation (flight cleared for visual approach, conditions cavu, numerous VFR targets not necessarily in communication with ATC), primary responsibility of crew is 1) flying the airplane and complying with ATC instructions, and 2) visual acquisition of traffic whether reported by ATC or displayed on TCASII equipment. Once airport has been acquired visually, further reference to GPS is not necessary. Any attention to GPS at this time, including attempts to change displays, reprogram information, etc, is entirely secondary to primary tasks and detrimental to flight safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT HIS NAME APPEARED ON THE FILED FLT PLAN AS THE PIC WHEN HE WAS ACTUALLY THE SIC, DURING AN ALT EXCURSION NEAR VNY.

Narrative: RPTR HAD BEEN ADVISED HE WOULD BE PIC AND SOLE PLT ON FLT FROM ASPEN, CO, TO VAN NUYS, CA, AND HAD FILED IFR FLT PLAN ELECTRONICALLY ON PREVIOUS EVENING. SHORTLY BEFORE DEP FROM ASE, ACFT OWNER (COMMERCIAL PLT, CURRENT IN ACFT) ADVISED RPTR THAT HE (ACFT OWNER) ASSUMED COMMAND AND WOULD FLY THIS FLT AS PIC, WITH RPTR AS FO/PNF. AT THIS TIME, FLT PLAN HAD ALREADY BEEN XMITTED TO ZDV, THUS PREVENTING RPTR FROM CHANGING 'PLT NAME' FILED ON FLT PLAN. DURING DSCNT INTO VNY AREA, AIRPLANE WAS UNDER CTL OF SOCAL APCH AND WAS ESTABLISHED ON VECTOR HDG WITH CLRNC TO INTERCEPT ILS FINAL APCH COURSE AND MAKE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16R AT VNY. ALT WAS RESTR TO 6000 FT MSL UNTIL PASSING VFR TFC. AIRPLANE WAS DSNDING TO 6000 FT MSL UNDER COMMAND OF PIC. AUTOPLT (COLLINS AP-106/FD112V) ENGAGED IN HDG MODE WITH ALT PRESELECTOR SET TO 6000 FT. APCH MODE WAS ARMED. APPROX UPON INTERCEPTING ILS FINAL COURSE, WHILE PIC'S ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO PROGRAMMING GPS AND FO'S ATTN WAS DIRECTED OUTSIDE IN ATTEMPT TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE TFC, AUTOPLT AUTOMATICALLY COUPLED TO BOTH LOC AND ILS GS AND COMMENCED FURTHER DSCNT TO CAPTURE GS. ATC ALERTED CREW TO ALTDEV UPON REACHING APPROX 5500 FT. FO TOOK COMMAND OF ACFT, DISENGAGED AUTOPLT, AND MAINTAINED ALT UNTIL BEING CLRED FOR FURTHER DSCNT. PIC RESUMED COMMAND OF AIRPLANE, CONTINUED APCH, AND MADE LNDG. RPTR THINKS THAT COM NEEDS TO BE CLRER BTWN PIC AND FO REGARDING BOTH CURRENTLY SELECTED AND ARMED MODES OF AUTOPLT/FLT DIRECTOR SYS. BETTER PIC UNDERSTANDING OF ILS APCH ARM AND CAPTURE CRITERIA, INCLUDING FACT THAT THIS MODEL AUTOPLT/FLT DIRECTOR WILL CAPTURE ILS GS FROM ABOVE AS WELL AS FROM BELOW. STRESS THAT IN VISUAL SIT (FLT CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH, CONDITIONS CAVU, NUMEROUS VFR TARGETS NOT NECESSARILY IN COM WITH ATC), PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF CREW IS 1) FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND COMPLYING WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS, AND 2) VISUAL ACQUISITION OF TFC WHETHER RPTED BY ATC OR DISPLAYED ON TCASII EQUIP. ONCE ARPT HAS BEEN ACQUIRED VISUALLY, FURTHER REF TO GPS IS NOT NECESSARY. ANY ATTN TO GPS AT THIS TIME, INCLUDING ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE DISPLAYS, REPROGRAM INFO, ETC, IS ENTIRELY SECONDARY TO PRIMARY TASKS AND DETRIMENTAL TO FLT SAFETY.

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.