Altitude deviation on arrival during turn.

Attributes
ACN	313560
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : buj
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10700 msl bound upper : 11000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tracon : gsb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	313560
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	313688
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On the blue ridge 6 arrival 230 degree radial 32 DME fix at 11000 ft. During the turn to 170 degree heading the first officer, while aiding the autothrottles, accidentally pushed the takeoff/go around button. The autoplt disengaged and the first officer switched off the autothrottles as the engines spooled to 1.30 EPR. The first officer pushed altitude hold, but did not realize the autoplt had kicked off. We then noticed that we had lost 300 ft and the first officer immediately started a correction back to 11000 ft. While the first officer was correcting back to 11000 ft, approach control issued us a clearance down to 6000 ft. Also contributing to the situation was an unusual thin band of rain showers along the buj 230 degree radial that was producing virga and turbulence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON ARR DURING TURN.

Narrative: ON THE BLUE RIDGE 6 ARR 230 DEG RADIAL 32 DME FIX AT 11000 FT. DURING THE TURN TO 170 DEG HDG THE FO, WHILE AIDING THE AUTOTHROTTLES, ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE TKOF/GAR BUTTON. THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AND THE FO SWITCHED OFF THE AUTOTHROTTLES AS THE ENGS SPOOLED TO 1.30 EPR. THE FO PUSHED ALT HOLD, BUT DID NOT REALIZE THE AUTOPLT HAD KICKED OFF. WE THEN NOTICED THAT WE HAD LOST 300 FT AND THE FO IMMEDIATELY STARTED A CORRECTION BACK TO 11000 FT. WHILE THE FO WAS CORRECTING BACK TO 11000 FT, APCH CTL ISSUED US A CLRNC DOWN TO 6000 FT. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE SIT WAS AN UNUSUAL THIN BAND OF RAIN SHOWERS ALONG THE BUJ 230 DEG RADIAL THAT WAS PRODUCING VIRGA AND TURB.

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.