 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Altitude deviation. Aircraft equipment in medium large transport fleet inconsistent with variations of instrument presentation and autoplt and flight director equipment.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 178300 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stl |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7600 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : stl tower : lnk |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute airway : stl |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 10700 |
| ASRS Report | 178300 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
This air carrier is the only us operator that mixes all medium large transport type variants in 1 fleet. There are only 7 aircraft in the 79 aircraft fleet of all medium large transport variants. Of these 7 aircraft, the xx flight director is installed in 2 medium large transport's (only 2 this type flight director in flight). Aircraft involved in incident was type with xx flight director. Flying trake arrival into stl, cleared to cross ftz at 10000' and keep speed up. After crossing VOR (aircraft on autoplt), cleared to 8000' and reduce to 190 KIAS. While leveling at 8000', I became distracted (WX radar, thunderstorms in area) and did not anticipate slower altitude capture of autoplt on this type variant and aircraft descended below 8000' during level-off. ATC assigned 8000' during arrival due to traffic at 7000'. No mention made of deviation by ATC. Normal arrival and landing. Factors: distraction during altitude, speed, confign change. Characteristics of difference flight director and glare shield/control panel confign. Characteristic of autoplt to pitch up and down during confign change (initial flap extension) on this type aircraft only (medium large transport xx). Mix of all medium large transport variants in one fleet west/O regular frequency of flts in all types and first officer variants.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALT DEVIATION. ACFT EQUIPMENT IN MLG FLEET INCONSISTENT WITH VARIATIONS OF INSTRUMENT PRESENTATION AND AUTOPLT AND FLT DIRECTOR EQUIPMENT.
Narrative: THIS ACR IS THE ONLY U.S. OPERATOR THAT MIXES ALL MLG TYPE VARIANTS IN 1 FLEET. THERE ARE ONLY 7 ACFT IN THE 79 ACFT FLEET OF ALL MLG VARIANTS. OF THESE 7 ACFT, THE XX FLT DIRECTOR IS INSTALLED IN 2 MLG'S (ONLY 2 THIS TYPE FLT DIRECTOR IN FLT). ACFT INVOLVED IN INCIDENT WAS TYPE WITH XX FLT DIRECTOR. FLYING TRAKE ARR INTO STL, CLRED TO CROSS FTZ AT 10000' AND KEEP SPD UP. AFTER XING VOR (ACFT ON AUTOPLT), CLRED TO 8000' AND REDUCE TO 190 KIAS. WHILE LEVELING AT 8000', I BECAME DISTRACTED (WX RADAR, TSTMS IN AREA) AND DID NOT ANTICIPATE SLOWER ALT CAPTURE OF AUTOPLT ON THIS TYPE VARIANT AND ACFT DSNDED BELOW 8000' DURING LEVEL-OFF. ATC ASSIGNED 8000' DURING ARR DUE TO TFC AT 7000'. NO MENTION MADE OF DEVIATION BY ATC. NORMAL ARR AND LNDG. FACTORS: DISTR DURING ALT, SPD, CONFIGN CHANGE. CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENCE FLT DIRECTOR AND GLARE SHIELD/CTL PANEL CONFIGN. CHARACTERISTIC OF AUTOPLT TO PITCH UP AND DOWN DURING CONFIGN CHANGE (INITIAL FLAP EXTENSION) ON THIS TYPE ACFT ONLY (MLG XX). MIX OF ALL MLG VARIANTS IN ONE FLEET W/O REGULAR FREQ OF FLTS IN ALL TYPES AND F/O VARIANTS.
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.