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A C310 pilot in IMC experiences a partial loss of aircraft control while attempting to override the autoplt following incorrect GPS/autoplt programming. An altitude excursion and track deviation ensued.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 609867 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200403 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dal.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d10.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 310/T310C |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level |
| Route In Use | departure sid : texoma 7 enroute : on vectors enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 120 |
| ASRS Report | 609867 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Upon departing dallas love (dal) on an IFR flight plan via the texoma 7, will rogers transition to 2DT, I leveled off at 6000 ft MSL in IMC rain and was given direct to 2DT from a heading. Upon entering destination (2DT) in GPS, I mistakenly commanded the GPS and autoplt to navigation direct to a waypoint on the texoma 7, will rogers transition rather than to 2DT. As the autoplt (GPS mode) began a left turn toward the waypoint I realized that a mistake had been made. At a heading of 270 degrees I began to override the autoplt manually while trying to reprogram the autoplt. This led to false sense of control inputs relative to the attitude of the aircraft which was noticed as the aircraft entered a 45 degree right bank and 1500 FPM descent. At 5500 ft MSL I disengaged the autoplt and the descent was stopped and wings leveled. I then began an ascent which reached an unanticipated 2000 FPM until the aircraft was leveled off at 6500 ft MSL on a 350 degree heading where I re-engaged the autoplt in heading mode. I then advised ATC that I was momentarily having difficulty maintaining altitude and stated that I would be leveling at 6400 ft MSL and back on heading 350 degrees for a moment. Upon once again reaching 6000 ft MSL I reprogrammed the GPS and activated the autoplt (GPS mode) resuming direct navigation to 2DT and informed ATC that I was back on course. The momentary loss of situational awareness and entry into an unusual attitude while in IMC was a result of less than complete familiarization with the integration of GPS/autoplt, and the incorrect decision to manually override the autoplt rather than either disengaging it or correctly reprogramming the autoplt and GPS to the intended navigation. Also a factor was my division of attention between the manual manipulation of the controls while manually overriding the autoplt while simultaneously trying to reprogram the GPS. The violation was exceeding more than 300 ft below and above my assigned altitude and turning nearly 90 degrees off of assigned heading.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C310 PLT IN IMC EXPERIENCES A PARTIAL LOSS OF ACFT CTL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOPLT FOLLOWING INCORRECT GPS/AUTOPLT PROGRAMMING. AN ALT EXCURSION AND TRACK DEV ENSUED.
Narrative: UPON DEPARTING DALLAS LOVE (DAL) ON AN IFR FLT PLAN VIA THE TEXOMA 7, WILL ROGERS TRANSITION TO 2DT, I LEVELED OFF AT 6000 FT MSL IN IMC RAIN AND WAS GIVEN DIRECT TO 2DT FROM A HDG. UPON ENTERING DEST (2DT) IN GPS, I MISTAKENLY COMMANDED THE GPS AND AUTOPLT TO NAV DIRECT TO A WAYPOINT ON THE TEXOMA 7, WILL ROGERS TRANSITION RATHER THAN TO 2DT. AS THE AUTOPLT (GPS MODE) BEGAN A L TURN TOWARD THE WAYPOINT I REALIZED THAT A MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE. AT A HDG OF 270 DEGS I BEGAN TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOPLT MANUALLY WHILE TRYING TO REPROGRAM THE AUTOPLT. THIS LED TO FALSE SENSE OF CTL INPUTS RELATIVE TO THE ATTITUDE OF THE ACFT WHICH WAS NOTICED AS THE ACFT ENTERED A 45 DEG R BANK AND 1500 FPM DSCNT. AT 5500 FT MSL I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND THE DSCNT WAS STOPPED AND WINGS LEVELED. I THEN BEGAN AN ASCENT WHICH REACHED AN UNANTICIPATED 2000 FPM UNTIL THE ACFT WAS LEVELED OFF AT 6500 FT MSL ON A 350 DEG HDG WHERE I RE-ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT IN HDG MODE. I THEN ADVISED ATC THAT I WAS MOMENTARILY HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALT AND STATED THAT I WOULD BE LEVELING AT 6400 FT MSL AND BACK ON HDG 350 DEGS FOR A MOMENT. UPON ONCE AGAIN REACHING 6000 FT MSL I REPROGRAMMED THE GPS AND ACTIVATED THE AUTOPLT (GPS MODE) RESUMING DIRECT NAV TO 2DT AND INFORMED ATC THAT I WAS BACK ON COURSE. THE MOMENTARY LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ENTRY INTO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE WHILE IN IMC WAS A RESULT OF LESS THAN COMPLETE FAMILIARIZATION WITH THE INTEGRATION OF GPS/AUTOPLT, AND THE INCORRECT DECISION TO MANUALLY OVERRIDE THE AUTOPLT RATHER THAN EITHER DISENGAGING IT OR CORRECTLY REPROGRAMMING THE AUTOPLT AND GPS TO THE INTENDED NAV. ALSO A FACTOR WAS MY DIVISION OF ATTN BTWN THE MANUAL MANIPULATION OF THE CTLS WHILE MANUALLY OVERRIDING THE AUTOPLT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO REPROGRAM THE GPS. THE VIOLATION WAS EXCEEDING MORE THAN 300 FT BELOW AND ABOVE MY ASSIGNED ALT AND TURNING NEARLY 90 DEGS OFF OF ASSIGNED HDG.
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.