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An ERJ170 pilot at cruise altitude made a steep turn to avoid WX and immediately lost 300 ft; recovering after losing at total of 500 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 797554 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zjx.artcc |
| State Reference | FL |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx.artcc tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 170/175 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 797554 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
En route; we asked ATC about deviating left for thunderstorms. We were told that we would be able to deviate 5 degrees left if necessary. We responded that would work for us. As we got closer we were handed off to another controller. He advised us about the WX and we also told him that we would like to deviate to the left. He advised us that the offshore area was a live fire area and that we could not go left. He said that we could go right. We then elected to the right. We were handed off again. This controller then told us that we could make a hard left around the storm and that we could avoid a line of WX by doing so. I elected to do this. I selected heading with the autoplt on; but I realized that we were not turning sharply enough. I then pushed the tcs button and steepened the bank angle. I quickly lost 300 ft of altitude before I realized what happened. I pulled back on the yoke and stopped the descent at about 500 ft and climbed back to altitude. In the future; I will not attempt to make such a sharp turn at altitude. I will be especially proactive in thunderstorm avoidance when operating on this route. I will look well ahead and plan accordingly. I will also talk to dispatch before departing on this route and attempt to get filed around all WX.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ERJ170 PILOT AT CRUISE ALT MADE A STEEP TURN TO AVOID WX AND IMMEDIATELY LOST 300 FT; RECOVERING AFTER LOSING AT TOTAL OF 500 FT.
Narrative: ENRTE; WE ASKED ATC ABOUT DEVIATING L FOR TSTMS. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DEVIATE 5 DEGS L IF NECESSARY. WE RESPONDED THAT WOULD WORK FOR US. AS WE GOT CLOSER WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR. HE ADVISED US ABOUT THE WX AND WE ALSO TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DEVIATE TO THE L. HE ADVISED US THAT THE OFFSHORE AREA WAS A LIVE FIRE AREA AND THAT WE COULD NOT GO L. HE SAID THAT WE COULD GO R. WE THEN ELECTED TO THE R. WE WERE HANDED OFF AGAIN. THIS CTLR THEN TOLD US THAT WE COULD MAKE A HARD L AROUND THE STORM AND THAT WE COULD AVOID A LINE OF WX BY DOING SO. I ELECTED TO DO THIS. I SELECTED HDG WITH THE AUTOPLT ON; BUT I REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT TURNING SHARPLY ENOUGH. I THEN PUSHED THE TCS BUTTON AND STEEPENED THE BANK ANGLE. I QUICKLY LOST 300 FT OF ALT BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED. I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND STOPPED THE DSCNT AT ABOUT 500 FT AND CLBED BACK TO ALT. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE SUCH A SHARP TURN AT ALT. I WILL BE ESPECIALLY PROACTIVE IN TSTM AVOIDANCE WHEN OPERATING ON THIS RTE. I WILL LOOK WELL AHEAD AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY. I WILL ALSO TALK TO DISPATCH BEFORE DEPARTING ON THIS RTE AND ATTEMPT TO GET FILED AROUND ALL WX.
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.