Narrative:

Today we experienced an unnerving situation in our emb-145. Climbing through FL360; the pitch limit indicator became red on our climb up to FL370. According to the FMS; our performance cruise ceiling was FL333. We were flying without the autoplt; on the flight level change climb profile speed of mach .56. The bumps were considered light turbulence; and several times the pitch limit indicator appeared amber; and then briefly appeared red. Because of the indicated speed being well below 200 KIAS; we were lucky we did not get the shaker and pusher in this event. We decreased our angle of attack and slowly continued our climb to FL370 and the rest of our flight proceeded uneventfully. The reason I am submitting this event to the safety committee is because I feel the need to be at mach .56 to be an unnecessary risk; especially in light of the situation today. I am no emb representative; aeronautical engineer; or performance guru; but the need to be so far back on the speed; with such an extremely high angle of attack does not situation well with me. Any little burble in the atmosphere; wake from another aircraft; bumps in the air (like today) can so easily bring us to an angle of attack that could cause a shaker/pusher event. When we are heavy international standard atmosphere is +15; and the FMS calculator shows a performance ceiling well below the intended cruise altitude. I feel that the climb profile puts our passenger in a situation they shouldn't be in. Not to mention that the deck angle the flight attendant has to push the cart up can border on ridiculous when at FL370 (I hope the cart's brakes don't give way). My guess as to why this is not a prevalent occurrence; is that I have a feeling that mach .56 flight level change profiles are rarely fully flown by today's crews -- to prevent this very thing. My only question: why? Why bo so slow? Why have such a high angle of attack? Why be so close to potential problems when a lower angle of attack would provide much more stability and protection against potential stalls; or at least pusher/shaker events? In the future; I will always be climbing with the higher speed profile using mach .65 when international standard atmosphere is warm; angle of attack will be high in heavy weight sits; or if the air is bumpy. I hope to see this become the standard and the mach . 56 profile be done away with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE PERFORMING COMPANY DIRECTED FLT CREW CLIMB E145 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES RED PITCH LIMIT INDICATOR WARNINGS IN LIGHT TURBULENCE.

Narrative: TODAY WE EXPERIENCED AN UNNERVING SITUATION IN OUR EMB-145. CLBING THROUGH FL360; THE PITCH LIMIT INDICATOR BECAME RED ON OUR CLB UP TO FL370. ACCORDING TO THE FMS; OUR PERFORMANCE CRUISE CEILING WAS FL333. WE WERE FLYING WITHOUT THE AUTOPLT; ON THE FLT LEVEL CHANGE CLB PROFILE SPD OF MACH .56. THE BUMPS WERE CONSIDERED LIGHT TURB; AND SEVERAL TIMES THE PITCH LIMIT INDICATOR APPEARED AMBER; AND THEN BRIEFLY APPEARED RED. BECAUSE OF THE INDICATED SPD BEING WELL BELOW 200 KIAS; WE WERE LUCKY WE DID NOT GET THE SHAKER AND PUSHER IN THIS EVENT. WE DECREASED OUR ANGLE OF ATTACK AND SLOWLY CONTINUED OUR CLB TO FL370 AND THE REST OF OUR FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE REASON I AM SUBMITTING THIS EVENT TO THE SAFETY COMMITTEE IS BECAUSE I FEEL THE NEED TO BE AT MACH .56 TO BE AN UNNECESSARY RISK; ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE SITUATION TODAY. I AM NO EMB REPRESENTATIVE; AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER; OR PERFORMANCE GURU; BUT THE NEED TO BE SO FAR BACK ON THE SPD; WITH SUCH AN EXTREMELY HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK DOES NOT SIT WELL WITH ME. ANY LITTLE BURBLE IN THE ATMOSPHERE; WAKE FROM ANOTHER ACFT; BUMPS IN THE AIR (LIKE TODAY) CAN SO EASILY BRING US TO AN ANGLE OF ATTACK THAT COULD CAUSE A SHAKER/PUSHER EVENT. WHEN WE ARE HVY INTL STANDARD ATMOSPHERE IS +15; AND THE FMS CALCULATOR SHOWS A PERFORMANCE CEILING WELL BELOW THE INTENDED CRUISE ALT. I FEEL THAT THE CLB PROFILE PUTS OUR PAX IN A SITUATION THEY SHOULDN'T BE IN. NOT TO MENTION THAT THE DECK ANGLE THE FLT ATTENDANT HAS TO PUSH THE CART UP CAN BORDER ON RIDICULOUS WHEN AT FL370 (I HOPE THE CART'S BRAKES DON'T GIVE WAY). MY GUESS AS TO WHY THIS IS NOT A PREVALENT OCCURRENCE; IS THAT I HAVE A FEELING THAT MACH .56 FLT LEVEL CHANGE PROFILES ARE RARELY FULLY FLOWN BY TODAY'S CREWS -- TO PREVENT THIS VERY THING. MY ONLY QUESTION: WHY? WHY BO SO SLOW? WHY HAVE SUCH A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK? WHY BE SO CLOSE TO POTENTIAL PROBS WHEN A LOWER ANGLE OF ATTACK WOULD PROVIDE MUCH MORE STABILITY AND PROTECTION AGAINST POTENTIAL STALLS; OR AT LEAST PUSHER/SHAKER EVENTS? IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ALWAYS BE CLBING WITH THE HIGHER SPD PROFILE USING MACH .65 WHEN INTL STANDARD ATMOSPHERE IS WARM; ANGLE OF ATTACK WILL BE HIGH IN HVY WT SITS; OR IF THE AIR IS BUMPY. I HOPE TO SEE THIS BECOME THE STANDARD AND THE MACH . 56 PROFILE BE DONE AWAY WITH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.