Captain of LJ60 is distracted by copilot's inadvertent disconnect of the autoplt and the subsequent ...

Attributes
ACN	655942
Time
Date	200504
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bed.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 60
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a90.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 13300 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	655942
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

This flight's TA resulted from the flying pilot losing situational awareness and not flying the airplane after inadvertently disconnecting the autoplt with the wheel mounted switch. The flying pilot was distracted by the autoplt control panel and was having altitude excursions of +0/-220 ft. During this time; I was looking for TA traffic; coaching the PF and answering ATC's traffic advisories and vectors. I finally had to firmly command the PF to 'fly the ---- airplane!;' before the PF took appropriate action. In hindsight; I should have physically taken control of my flight sooner instead of coaching. This flight's incident is an example of a dangerous trend that I have noticed with experienced pilots flying multiple types. It is easy to become distracted trying to find switches on the control wheel or autoplt control panel. For example; on one aircraft; the touch wheel control steering switch is in the same place as the ptt on another aircraft; which is the FD command bar synch on a third aircraft. The list goes on and on. The industry must standardize all control wheel switches! Using different colors is not enough! Different shape switches need to be used. This is similar to what was done years ago with propeller/mixture/throttle/landing gear/flap controls. That way the pilot has instant tactile feedback on proper switch activation. Last but not least: fly the airplane!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF LJ60 IS DISTRACTED BY COPLT'S INADVERTENT DISCONNECT OF THE AUTOPLT AND THE SUBSEQUENT FLT PATH AND ALT DIVERSIONS WHICH FOLLOW. TCAS TA RESULTS.

Narrative: THIS FLT'S TA RESULTED FROM THE FLYING PLT LOSING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND NOT FLYING THE AIRPLANE AFTER INADVERTENTLY DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT WITH THE WHEEL MOUNTED SWITCH. THE FLYING PLT WAS DISTRACTED BY THE AUTOPLT CTL PANEL AND WAS HAVING ALT EXCURSIONS OF +0/-220 FT. DURING THIS TIME; I WAS LOOKING FOR TA TFC; COACHING THE PF AND ANSWERING ATC'S TFC ADVISORIES AND VECTORS. I FINALLY HAD TO FIRMLY COMMAND THE PF TO 'FLY THE ---- AIRPLANE!;' BEFORE THE PF TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTION. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE PHYSICALLY TAKEN CTL OF MY FLT SOONER INSTEAD OF COACHING. THIS FLT'S INCIDENT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A DANGEROUS TREND THAT I HAVE NOTICED WITH EXPERIENCED PLTS FLYING MULTIPLE TYPES. IT IS EASY TO BECOME DISTRACTED TRYING TO FIND SWITCHES ON THE CTL WHEEL OR AUTOPLT CTL PANEL. FOR EXAMPLE; ON ONE ACFT; THE TOUCH WHEEL CTL STEERING SWITCH IS IN THE SAME PLACE AS THE PTT ON ANOTHER ACFT; WHICH IS THE FD COMMAND BAR SYNCH ON A THIRD ACFT. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. THE INDUSTRY MUST STANDARDIZE ALL CTL WHEEL SWITCHES! USING DIFFERENT COLORS IS NOT ENOUGH! DIFFERENT SHAPE SWITCHES NEED TO BE USED. THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS DONE YEARS AGO WITH PROP/MIXTURE/THROTTLE/LNDG GEAR/FLAP CTLS. THAT WAY THE PLT HAS INSTANT TACTILE FEEDBACK ON PROPER SWITCH ACTIVATION. LAST BUT NOT LEAST: FLY THE AIRPLANE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Captain of LJ60 is distracted by copilot's inadvertent disconnect of the autoplt and the subsequent flight path and altitude diversions which follow. TCAS TA results.