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Pilot of corp small aircraft described altitude deviation due to pilot distraction personal emotional trauma because of the death of his brother with whom he had flown for 20 years.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 140327 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tup |
| State Reference | MS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 3275 flight time type : 425 |
| ASRS Report | 140327 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
This leg was from 81J to tup, among severe thunderstorms. I was under more stress than I am used to over the previous 5-6 weeks due to the loss of my older brother, along with terrible WX to go with the problem. Center had given me a lower altitude. While I was descending, I activated the autoplt altitude arm-alert to intercept the altitude assigned. In the meantime, I was using the radar to navigation thunderstorms. As I rescanned to check and xchk, I realized the aircraft was still descending when I reached my altitude. I immediately reached and recovered from the descent and pulled it back to altitude while in severe turbulence and thunderstorms. A few (3) days later I made a trip to jax and had the autoplt checked and fixed! That corrected the problem. As for the stress, still working on it! My brother and I flew together for over 20 yrs!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF CORP SMA DESCRIBED ALT DEVIATION DUE TO PLT DISTR PERSONAL EMOTIONAL TRAUMA BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF HIS BROTHER WITH WHOM HE HAD FLOWN FOR 20 YEARS.
Narrative: THIS LEG WAS FROM 81J TO TUP, AMONG SEVERE TSTMS. I WAS UNDER MORE STRESS THAN I AM USED TO OVER THE PREVIOUS 5-6 WKS DUE TO THE LOSS OF MY OLDER BROTHER, ALONG WITH TERRIBLE WX TO GO WITH THE PROB. CENTER HAD GIVEN ME A LOWER ALT. WHILE I WAS DSNDING, I ACTIVATED THE AUTOPLT ALT ARM-ALERT TO INTERCEPT THE ALT ASSIGNED. IN THE MEANTIME, I WAS USING THE RADAR TO NAV TSTMS. AS I RESCANNED TO CHK AND XCHK, I REALIZED THE ACFT WAS STILL DSNDING WHEN I REACHED MY ALT. I IMMEDIATELY REACHED AND RECOVERED FROM THE DSCNT AND PULLED IT BACK TO ALT WHILE IN SEVERE TURB AND TSTMS. A FEW (3) DAYS LATER I MADE A TRIP TO JAX AND HAD THE AUTOPLT CHKED AND FIXED! THAT CORRECTED THE PROB. AS FOR THE STRESS, STILL WORKING ON IT! MY BROTHER AND I FLEW TOGETHER FOR OVER 20 YRS!
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.