Narrative:

Upon inspection of aircraft logbook, found altitude. Hold capability of autoplt was inoperative and had been for at least 2 days. Further research revealed autoplt had a history of problems. Talked with station manager, he said everything that was a remove and replace item had been during the previous trouble-shooting. The printout indicated that the aircraft needed to have the pitot static system checked. Filed a report with company and pilots org-X stating that this was a safety issue. Even though it was 'legal' to fly the aircraft. This increased workload due to the requirement to manually maintain altitude in cruise was bad enough. Fortunately, we were VMC for most of the 2 legs we flew and there was no excess maneuvering such as holding. It is also fortunate that this was our first legs of a scheduled 12 hour day rather than the last 2 which were at night with mixed VMC/IMC. This type of practice proves that the extreme 'cost cutting' program that this company is hell bent on placing money above safety. A plane should not be flying around with an autoplt that can't hold altitude especially when it had flown through maintenance stations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF COMPANY EFFORT TO MAINTAIN FULLY FUNCTIONING AUTOPLT.

Narrative: UPON INSPECTION OF ACFT LOGBOOK, FOUND ALT. HOLD CAPABILITY OF AUTOPLT WAS INOP AND HAD BEEN FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS. FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED AUTOPLT HAD A HISTORY OF PROBS. TALKED WITH STATION MGR, HE SAID EVERYTHING THAT WAS A REMOVE AND REPLACE ITEM HAD BEEN DURING THE PREVIOUS TROUBLE-SHOOTING. THE PRINTOUT INDICATED THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO HAVE THE PITOT STATIC SYS CHKED. FILED A RPT WITH COMPANY AND PLTS ORG-X STATING THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 'LEGAL' TO FLY THE ACFT. THIS INCREASED WORKLOAD DUE TO THE REQUIREMENT TO MANUALLY MAINTAIN ALT IN CRUISE WAS BAD ENOUGH. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE VMC FOR MOST OF THE 2 LEGS WE FLEW AND THERE WAS NO EXCESS MANEUVERING SUCH AS HOLDING. IT IS ALSO FORTUNATE THAT THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEGS OF A SCHEDULED 12 HR DAY RATHER THAN THE LAST 2 WHICH WERE AT NIGHT WITH MIXED VMC/IMC. THIS TYPE OF PRACTICE PROVES THAT THE EXTREME 'COST CUTTING' PROGRAM THAT THIS COMPANY IS HELL BENT ON PLACING MONEY ABOVE SAFETY. A PLANE SHOULD NOT BE FLYING AROUND WITH AN AUTOPLT THAT CAN'T HOLD ALT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAD FLOWN THROUGH MAINT STATIONS.

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.