Narrative:

In phx we were cleared to las on a 'brake 6' departure to maintain 8000 ft. At the gate I briefed this departure and noted the 3000 ft hold down until 4 DME departing on runway 26R. I set the mode control panel for the 8000 ft clearance. During the takeoff briefing just prior to takeoff I again noted the 3000 ft hold down and mentioned that if tower did not delete that restr I would ask for 'climb power and bug to clean speed' at 1000 ft after takeoff to avoid an early altitude capture and power back in VNAV (thinking wrongly that I had set 3000 ft in the mode control panel). On takeoff roll I noticed that T02 had been dropped from the list management computer selection (apparently during aircraft power transfer) and we instead had full normal takeoff power on a very light aircraft (157000 pounds). At 1000 ft AGL I called for 'climb power, bug to clean speed and flaps 5 degrees.'airspeed began to increase rapidly and I called for subsequent flap retraction and began to level off for the 3000 ft hold down. I manually pulled the throttles back as airspeed increased because I still had full climb power since there was no altitude capture. I finally realized why throttles kept advancing but noted I was now past the 4 DME restr. So I resumed the climb to 8000 ft. I then glanced at my SID chart which was in my book clipped to the right window chart table. In that position I misread the 9 DME turn point as 6 DME since the number 9 appeared upside down at that angle and I only allowed myself a quick glance. Consequently I started my turn to 360 degrees heading at 6 DME instead of 9 DME. Passing through about a 330 degree heading departure control called with a vector due to my early turn. This situation came about due to my own mistaken call for 'climb power and bug to clean speed' at 1000 ft AGL when VNAV would have been the appropriate mode. As a result of this call I overloaded myself trying to control altitude, airspeed and confign on an overpowered aircraft and set myself up to misread the chart in the position I had it (to my right) with only a quick glance. I was looking only for the number and didn't notice that it said 6 instead of DME 9. Also the day before I had used the 'climb power and bug to clean speed' call on takeoff at lax with a 2000 ft hold down, but in that case 2000 ft was our altitude clearance and was set in the MCP. Today however, with 8000 ft set in the MCP the call was appropriate, and obviously did not think it out clearly before calling for it. Solutions: 1) think a call more thoroughly before using it. 2) find a better way to position my charts for viewing. 3( trust LNAV!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH HDG CHANGE - TURNED TOO EARLY IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: IN PHX WE WERE CLRED TO LAS ON A 'BRAKE 6' DEP TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT. AT THE GATE I BRIEFED THIS DEP AND NOTED THE 3000 FT HOLD DOWN UNTIL 4 DME DEPARTING ON RWY 26R. I SET THE MODE CTL PANEL FOR THE 8000 FT CLRNC. DURING THE TKOF BRIEFING JUST PRIOR TO TKOF I AGAIN NOTED THE 3000 FT HOLD DOWN AND MENTIONED THAT IF TWR DID NOT DELETE THAT RESTR I WOULD ASK FOR 'CLB PWR AND BUG TO CLEAN SPD' AT 1000 FT AFTER TKOF TO AVOID AN EARLY ALT CAPTURE AND PWR BACK IN VNAV (THINKING WRONGLY THAT I HAD SET 3000 FT IN THE MODE CTL PANEL). ON TKOF ROLL I NOTICED THAT T02 HAD BEEN DROPPED FROM THE LIST MGMNT COMPUTER SELECTION (APPARENTLY DURING ACFT PWR TRANSFER) AND WE INSTEAD HAD FULL NORMAL TKOF PWR ON A VERY LIGHT ACFT (157000 LBS). AT 1000 FT AGL I CALLED FOR 'CLB PWR, BUG TO CLEAN SPD AND FLAPS 5 DEGS.'AIRSPD BEGAN TO INCREASE RAPIDLY AND I CALLED FOR SUBSEQUENT FLAP RETRACTION AND BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF FOR THE 3000 FT HOLD DOWN. I MANUALLY PULLED THE THROTTLES BACK AS AIRSPD INCREASED BECAUSE I STILL HAD FULL CLB PWR SINCE THERE WAS NO ALT CAPTURE. I FINALLY REALIZED WHY THROTTLES KEPT ADVANCING BUT NOTED I WAS NOW PAST THE 4 DME RESTR. SO I RESUMED THE CLB TO 8000 FT. I THEN GLANCED AT MY SID CHART WHICH WAS IN MY BOOK CLIPPED TO THE R WINDOW CHART TABLE. IN THAT POS I MISREAD THE 9 DME TURN POINT AS 6 DME SINCE THE NUMBER 9 APPEARED UPSIDE DOWN AT THAT ANGLE AND I ONLY ALLOWED MYSELF A QUICK GLANCE. CONSEQUENTLY I STARTED MY TURN TO 360 DEGS HDG AT 6 DME INSTEAD OF 9 DME. PASSING THROUGH ABOUT A 330 DEG HDG DEP CTL CALLED WITH A VECTOR DUE TO MY EARLY TURN. THIS SIT CAME ABOUT DUE TO MY OWN MISTAKEN CALL FOR 'CLB PWR AND BUG TO CLEAN SPD' AT 1000 FT AGL WHEN VNAV WOULD HAVE BEEN THE APPROPRIATE MODE. AS A RESULT OF THIS CALL I OVERLOADED MYSELF TRYING TO CTL ALT, AIRSPD AND CONFIGN ON AN OVERPOWERED ACFT AND SET MYSELF UP TO MISREAD THE CHART IN THE POS I HAD IT (TO MY R) WITH ONLY A QUICK GLANCE. I WAS LOOKING ONLY FOR THE NUMBER AND DIDN'T NOTICE THAT IT SAID 6 INSTEAD OF DME 9. ALSO THE DAY BEFORE I HAD USED THE 'CLB PWR AND BUG TO CLEAN SPD' CALL ON TKOF AT LAX WITH A 2000 FT HOLD DOWN, BUT IN THAT CASE 2000 FT WAS OUR ALT CLRNC AND WAS SET IN THE MCP. TODAY HOWEVER, WITH 8000 FT SET IN THE MCP THE CALL WAS APPROPRIATE, AND OBVIOUSLY DID NOT THINK IT OUT CLEARLY BEFORE CALLING FOR IT. SOLUTIONS: 1) THINK A CALL MORE THOROUGHLY BEFORE USING IT. 2) FIND A BETTER WAY TO POS MY CHARTS FOR VIEWING. 3( TRUST LNAV!

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.