<< >> NASA ASRS Report 664866, July 2005

A pilot of a BE36 with altitude hold and GPS navigation was given a route amendment while making a slight altitude adjustment manually. Distraction with the navigation route reprogramming caused a 300 ft altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	664866
Time
Date	200507
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : huo.vor
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 620
ASRS Report	664866
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Basic distraction with automation. At cruise; on autoplt; altimeter setting had changed enough to warrant resetting autoplt. Autoplt was in navigation and altitude hold mode and aircraft was off assigned altitude by about 75 ft. Took off altitude hold mode and was using autoplt trim to ease aircraft back down to 6000 ft when ATC came through with amendment to routing that necessitating extensive reprogramming of GPS. Copied clearance; started to reprogram when controller advised to check mode C and gave current altimeter setting. Aircraft had drifted 300 ft high and was not in any altitude selected mode -- just navigation! Immediately acknowledged; descended manually and chastised myself for falling into the distraction trap. Multitasking makes you stupid!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT OF A BE36 WITH ALT HOLD AND GPS NAV WAS GIVEN A RTE AMENDMENT WHILE MAKING A SLIGHT ALT ADJUSTMENT MANUALLY. DISTR WITH THE NAV RTE REPROGRAMMING CAUSED A 300 FT ALTDEV.

Narrative: BASIC DISTR WITH AUTOMATION. AT CRUISE; ON AUTOPLT; ALTIMETER SETTING HAD CHANGED ENOUGH TO WARRANT RESETTING AUTOPLT. AUTOPLT WAS IN NAV AND ALT HOLD MODE AND ACFT WAS OFF ASSIGNED ALT BY ABOUT 75 FT. TOOK OFF ALT HOLD MODE AND WAS USING AUTOPLT TRIM TO EASE ACFT BACK DOWN TO 6000 FT WHEN ATC CAME THROUGH WITH AMENDMENT TO ROUTING THAT NECESSITATING EXTENSIVE REPROGRAMMING OF GPS. COPIED CLRNC; STARTED TO REPROGRAM WHEN CTLR ADVISED TO CHK MODE C AND GAVE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING. ACFT HAD DRIFTED 300 FT HIGH AND WAS NOT IN ANY ALT SELECTED MODE -- JUST NAV! IMMEDIATELY ACKNOWLEDGED; DSNDED MANUALLY AND CHASTISED MYSELF FOR FALLING INTO THE DISTR TRAP. MULTITASKING MAKES YOU STUPID!

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.