Narrative:

The occurrence was simple--flight guidance was leveling the aircraft at 3000' (engaged) when departure gave us a climb to 15000' and a vector southeast toward a black spot in a wall of rain and buildups. As the first officer adjusted the altitude setting the flight guidance, which had captured the altitude, switched to vertical speed at 200 FPM climb and EPR limit climb power. As we are looking outside for traffic, the WX southeast quadrant solid and scattered buildups everywhere else, the aircraft accelerated to about 280 KTS in about 8-10 seconds. We felt it right away and throttled back so were over 250 KTS maybe 30 seconds. I'm not worried too much about an inadvertent speed violation as I am (upon reflection) of departure control giving me 3 vectors toward red spots on the radar during the climb out. As this progressed we learned he had an emergency to the south, but it made me wonder if he was aware of the fact that he had us bracketed directly into these cells. Congested frequency, concern about low level VFR traffic, what I call 'scan' which is a reliance on the flight guidance to do what you tell it to. I'm constantly fighting this, but even being aware of such scan habits (fixing on the FMA to make sure the correct mode engages, or the reverse--deciding to trust it while you are busy with something else. You really tend to lose your old basic power-attitude-trim habits) is not enough when you're being 'set up' by a controller. It seemed like he didn't know where our restrictions were. The rest of my concerns center around the nature of this situation. Is this a violation? Automatic equipment doing what it's supposed to do in a changing environment. Even turning it off taking over manually pulls you out of the loop and takes some seconds to get back into it. The aircraft is so powerful that even if you're ahead of it to get back into it. The aircraft is so powerful that even if you're ahead of it it can catch up to you rapidly. Are controllers aware of this or the problems they can create, or is this strictly an experience thing for them? How about some information on what constitutes the limits on altitude/airspeed for a controller and what training they get on the pilot's point of view.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIC ON AN MLG WITH FGS MUSES ABOUT THE FLYING BY REMOTE CTL FEELING THAT THE FLT CREW FEELS AND THE RESPONSES THEY INPUT TO CTLR'S ACTIONS OR REQUESTS. A POTPOURRI OF REFLECTIONS REGARDING THE LOSS OF THE OLD MANUAL DEXTERITY AND THE LEVEL OF TRUST WITH THE FGS THAT THE CREWS HAVE TO LIVE WITH. A FINAL PLEA FOR TRAINING THE CTLRS IN SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE ENVELOPES OF THIS ACFT.

Narrative: THE OCCURRENCE WAS SIMPLE--FLT GUIDANCE WAS LEVELING THE ACFT AT 3000' (ENGAGED) WHEN DEP GAVE US A CLB TO 15000' AND A VECTOR SE TOWARD A BLACK SPOT IN A WALL OF RAIN AND BUILDUPS. AS THE F/O ADJUSTED THE ALT SETTING THE FLT GUIDANCE, WHICH HAD CAPTURED THE ALT, SWITCHED TO VERT SPD AT 200 FPM CLB AND EPR LIMIT CLB PWR. AS WE ARE LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR TFC, THE WX SE QUADRANT SOLID AND SCATTERED BUILDUPS EVERYWHERE ELSE, THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 280 KTS IN ABOUT 8-10 SECS. WE FELT IT RIGHT AWAY AND THROTTLED BACK SO WERE OVER 250 KTS MAYBE 30 SECS. I'M NOT WORRIED TOO MUCH ABOUT AN INADVERTENT SPD VIOLATION AS I AM (UPON REFLECTION) OF DEP CTL GIVING ME 3 VECTORS TOWARD RED SPOTS ON THE RADAR DURING THE CLBOUT. AS THIS PROGRESSED WE LEARNED HE HAD AN EMER TO THE S, BUT IT MADE ME WONDER IF HE WAS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT HE HAD US BRACKETED DIRECTLY INTO THESE CELLS. CONGESTED FREQ, CONCERN ABOUT LOW LEVEL VFR TFC, WHAT I CALL 'SCAN' WHICH IS A RELIANCE ON THE FLT GUIDANCE TO DO WHAT YOU TELL IT TO. I'M CONSTANTLY FIGHTING THIS, BUT EVEN BEING AWARE OF SUCH SCAN HABITS (FIXING ON THE FMA TO MAKE SURE THE CORRECT MODE ENGAGES, OR THE REVERSE--DECIDING TO TRUST IT WHILE YOU ARE BUSY WITH SOMETHING ELSE. YOU REALLY TEND TO LOSE YOUR OLD BASIC PWR-ATTITUDE-TRIM HABITS) IS NOT ENOUGH WHEN YOU'RE BEING 'SET UP' BY A CTLR. IT SEEMED LIKE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE OUR RESTRICTIONS WERE. THE REST OF MY CONCERNS CENTER AROUND THE NATURE OF THIS SITUATION. IS THIS A VIOLATION? AUTOMATIC EQUIP DOING WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. EVEN TURNING IT OFF TAKING OVER MANUALLY PULLS YOU OUT OF THE LOOP AND TAKES SOME SECS TO GET BACK INTO IT. THE ACFT IS SO POWERFUL THAT EVEN IF YOU'RE AHEAD OF IT TO GET BACK INTO IT. THE ACFT IS SO POWERFUL THAT EVEN IF YOU'RE AHEAD OF IT IT CAN CATCH UP TO YOU RAPIDLY. ARE CTLRS AWARE OF THIS OR THE PROBS THEY CAN CREATE, OR IS THIS STRICTLY AN EXPERIENCE THING FOR THEM? HOW ABOUT SOME INFO ON WHAT CONSTITUTES THE LIMITS ON ALT/AIRSPD FOR A CTLR AND WHAT TRNING THEY GET ON THE PLT'S POINT OF VIEW.

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.