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Various distrs and the absence of the training captain from the cockpit on an air carrier IOE flight results in a track deviation and an altitude excursion.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 574346 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200302 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gve.airport |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc tower : sjc.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-82 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer instruction : instructor observation : company check pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 4400 |
| ASRS Report | 574346 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 850 |
| ASRS Report | 574347 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : altitude alert other controllerb other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was the PF. I was giving IOE to the first officer, who is a new hire captain, and I was performing the duties of check airman and captain. Our company wants all new hire capts to have at least a day's first officer right seat training in the event they have to fly as an first officer at some time in the future. I had to leave the cockpit for physiological reasons. Therefore, I left the IOE candidate in the right seat to perform the PF duties while I was gone and followed the company policy by having the lead flight attendant come into the cockpit to secure the door (cockpit) while I was absent. I was gone approximately 3 mins, and when I returned, I was informed by the PF (IOE candidate) in the right seat, that the autoplt had disconnected and the heading had varied by approximately 40 degrees left of course (we were cleared to gve) and the altitude had risen to approximately FL282 (+200 ft) as he had not noticed when the autoplt disengaged. I was informed that the controller queried us about the heading, but not the altitude, and asked if we were on a heading. The PF candidate had already begun to make corrections to get the aircraft back on course and altitude as I was entering the cockpit coming back from the lavatory. The PF stated that he was distraction by the flight attendant's question in regards to the WX radar, and as the thunderstorm lights had been previously turned on to facilitate filling out the flight plan, this caused the autoplt to disconnect red light to have a diminished intensity. The autoplt #1 may have disconnected as a result of turbulence, and is under evaluation. Supplemental information from acn 574347: we were at FL280 in light to moderate turbulence with thunderstorm lights on, causing the cockpit to be brightly lit. I did not notice the autoplt light flashing when the autoplt inadvertently clicked off. I'm not certain how long it was off, but heading changed about 40 degrees slowly and altitude began to drift upwards. I noticed the problem when the altitude alerter light came on with aural warning. Corrected heading and altitude immediately.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: VARIOUS DISTRS AND THE ABSENCE OF THE TRAINING CAPT FROM THE COCKPIT ON AN ACR IOE FLT RESULTS IN A TRACK DEV AND AN ALT EXCURSION.
Narrative: I WAS THE PF. I WAS GIVING IOE TO THE FO, WHO IS A NEW HIRE CAPT, AND I WAS PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF CHK AIRMAN AND CAPT. OUR COMPANY WANTS ALL NEW HIRE CAPTS TO HAVE AT LEAST A DAY'S FO R SEAT TRAINING IN THE EVENT THEY HAVE TO FLY AS AN FO AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. I HAD TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS. THEREFORE, I LEFT THE IOE CANDIDATE IN THE R SEAT TO PERFORM THE PF DUTIES WHILE I WAS GONE AND FOLLOWED THE COMPANY POLICY BY HAVING THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT COME INTO THE COCKPIT TO SECURE THE DOOR (COCKPIT) WHILE I WAS ABSENT. I WAS GONE APPROX 3 MINS, AND WHEN I RETURNED, I WAS INFORMED BY THE PF (IOE CANDIDATE) IN THE R SEAT, THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD DISCONNECTED AND THE HDG HAD VARIED BY APPROX 40 DEGS L OF COURSE (WE WERE CLRED TO GVE) AND THE ALT HAD RISEN TO APPROX FL282 (+200 FT) AS HE HAD NOT NOTICED WHEN THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CTLR QUERIED US ABOUT THE HDG, BUT NOT THE ALT, AND ASKED IF WE WERE ON A HDG. THE PF CANDIDATE HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO MAKE CORRECTIONS TO GET THE ACFT BACK ON COURSE AND ALT AS I WAS ENTERING THE COCKPIT COMING BACK FROM THE LAVATORY. THE PF STATED THAT HE WAS DISTR BY THE FLT ATTENDANT'S QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE WX RADAR, AND AS THE TSTM LIGHTS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY TURNED ON TO FACILITATE FILLING OUT THE FLT PLAN, THIS CAUSED THE AUTOPLT TO DISCONNECT RED LIGHT TO HAVE A DIMINISHED INTENSITY. THE AUTOPLT #1 MAY HAVE DISCONNECTED AS A RESULT OF TURB, AND IS UNDER EVALUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 574347: WE WERE AT FL280 IN LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB WITH TSTM LIGHTS ON, CAUSING THE COCKPIT TO BE BRIGHTLY LIT. I DID NOT NOTICE THE AUTOPLT LIGHT FLASHING WHEN THE AUTOPLT INADVERTENTLY CLICKED OFF. I'M NOT CERTAIN HOW LONG IT WAS OFF, BUT HDG CHANGED ABOUT 40 DEGS SLOWLY AND ALT BEGAN TO DRIFT UPWARDS. I NOTICED THE PROB WHEN THE ALT ALERTER LIGHT CAME ON WITH AURAL WARNING. CORRECTED HDG AND ALT IMMEDIATELY.
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.