BE10 pilot overshoots his assigned departure altitude when his seat malfunctions during initial clim...

Attributes
ACN	587215
Time
Date	200307
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sju.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	King Air 100 A/B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	587215
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : plt seat failure other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I departed san juan (tjig) on the afternoon flight with destination of la romana, dominican republic. Once airborne, ATC instructed me to take a vector of 280 degrees west and 2000 ft. I immediately complied and started my climb towards altitude at the normal rate of climb of 1500 FPM. At about 1800 ft, I encountered moderate chop, since the day was quite breezy, and almost immediately, my seat unlocked and slid all the way back on the seat track, impairing me from controling the aircraft momentarily. I immediately went for the seat handle to try to get it back in position, and while I was doing so, I caught my right hand on a metal file just under the seat, that produced a deep gash on my index finger and part of my upper hand. While I was on that struggle, ATC started yelling at me that I have missed my assigned altitude of 2000 ft, and I replied, 'sorry about that,' since the frequency was quite jammed with conversations, and I did not want to make it worse by explaining my problem. Finally, I managed to free my hand from the piece of metal, managed to disengage the autoplt and push the yoke forward. By the time I could regain full control of the situation, my altimeter read 2500 ft. The rest of the trip was uneventful. Once on the ground, I had maintenance personnel check my seat, and they found a broken wire, and worn out seat pins, that caused the seat rolling all the way aft on the seat track ultimately resulting in temporary loss of control of the aircraft. Seat was repaired and aircraft returned to service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE10 PLT OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED DEP ALT WHEN HIS SEAT MALFUNCTIONS DURING INITIAL CLBOUT 10 MI W OF SJU, PR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SAN JUAN (TJIG) ON THE AFTERNOON FLT WITH DEST OF LA ROMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. ONCE AIRBORNE, ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE A VECTOR OF 280 DEGS W AND 2000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED AND STARTED MY CLB TOWARDS ALT AT THE NORMAL RATE OF CLB OF 1500 FPM. AT ABOUT 1800 FT, I ENCOUNTERED MODERATE CHOP, SINCE THE DAY WAS QUITE BREEZY, AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, MY SEAT UNLOCKED AND SLID ALL THE WAY BACK ON THE SEAT TRACK, IMPAIRING ME FROM CTLING THE ACFT MOMENTARILY. I IMMEDIATELY WENT FOR THE SEAT HANDLE TO TRY TO GET IT BACK IN POS, AND WHILE I WAS DOING SO, I CAUGHT MY R HAND ON A METAL FILE JUST UNDER THE SEAT, THAT PRODUCED A DEEP GASH ON MY INDEX FINGER AND PART OF MY UPPER HAND. WHILE I WAS ON THAT STRUGGLE, ATC STARTED YELLING AT ME THAT I HAVE MISSED MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT, AND I REPLIED, 'SORRY ABOUT THAT,' SINCE THE FREQ WAS QUITE JAMMED WITH CONVERSATIONS, AND I DID NOT WANT TO MAKE IT WORSE BY EXPLAINING MY PROB. FINALLY, I MANAGED TO FREE MY HAND FROM THE PIECE OF METAL, MANAGED TO DISENGAGE THE AUTOPLT AND PUSH THE YOKE FORWARD. BY THE TIME I COULD REGAIN FULL CTL OF THE SIT, MY ALTIMETER READ 2500 FT. THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. ONCE ON THE GND, I HAD MAINT PERSONNEL CHK MY SEAT, AND THEY FOUND A BROKEN WIRE, AND WORN OUT SEAT PINS, THAT CAUSED THE SEAT ROLLING ALL THE WAY AFT ON THE SEAT TRACK ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN TEMPORARY LOSS OF CTL OF THE ACFT. SEAT WAS REPAIRED AND ACFT RETURNED TO SVC.

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.

BE10 pilot overshoots his assigned departure altitude when his seat malfunctions during initial climb out 10 mi west of sju, pr.