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An airline flight crew deviated from their assigned, vector heading due to the autoplt heading selection knob's displacement from center detent.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 299446 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199503 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : laa |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv artcc : zkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 299446 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On autoplt, on a vector to laa, autoplt on heading select mode. I am not sure how it happened, but the turn knob was displaced out of center detent and it was apparently in a 2-3 degree left bank that was not noticed by us (we were also IMC). The aircraft turned approximately 90 degrees left before I noticed the error. At the same time, center asked, 'where are you going?' contributing factors may have been: eating breakfast at the time, so attention was somewhat diverted, and also, tired from a short layover in a noisy (kids on spring break) hotel. I still do not know how the knob may have been bumped.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRLINE FLC DEVIATED FROM THEIR ASSIGNED, VECTOR HDG DUE TO THE AUTOPLT HDG SELECTION KNOB'S DISPLACEMENT FROM CTR DETENT.
Narrative: ON AUTOPLT, ON A VECTOR TO LAA, AUTOPLT ON HDG SELECT MODE. I AM NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED, BUT THE TURN KNOB WAS DISPLACED OUT OF CTR DETENT AND IT WAS APPARENTLY IN A 2-3 DEG L BANK THAT WAS NOT NOTICED BY US (WE WERE ALSO IMC). THE ACFT TURNED APPROX 90 DEGS L BEFORE I NOTICED THE ERROR. AT THE SAME TIME, CTR ASKED, 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN: EATING BREAKFAST AT THE TIME, SO ATTN WAS SOMEWHAT DIVERTED, AND ALSO, TIRED FROM A SHORT LAYOVER IN A NOISY (KIDS ON SPRING BREAK) HOTEL. I STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW THE KNOB MAY HAVE BEEN BUMPED.
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.