<< >> NASA ASRS Report 324210, December 1995

FMA in airspeed mode with 11000 ft armed for altitude capture, after altitude capture, FMA reverted back to airspeed mode and continued descent below assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	324210
Time
Date	199512
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10600 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : dca
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 13800 flight time type : 4200
ASRS Report	324210
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 188 flight time total : 11400 flight time type : 3015
ASRS Report	324226
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft on descent on finks arrival into dca, descending to 11000 ft. Aircraft in IAS mode and flight mode annunciator had altitude armed. Aircraft captured altitude, crew distracted by radio calls and checklist duties. Aircraft reverted to IAS mode and continued to descend below 11000 ft. Immediate action was taken, but aircraft went approximately 400 ft below 11000 ft before descent stopped. The aircraft was then brought back to 11000 ft. I do not know what caused the aircraft to lose capture and descend below 11000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FMA IN AIRSPD MODE WITH 11000 FT ARMED FOR ALT CAPTURE, AFTER ALT CAPTURE, FMA REVERTED BACK TO AIRSPD MODE AND CONTINUED DSCNT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ACFT ON DSCNT ON FINKS ARR INTO DCA, DSNDING TO 11000 FT. ACFT IN IAS MODE AND FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR HAD ALT ARMED. ACFT CAPTURED ALT, CREW DISTRACTED BY RADIO CALLS AND CHKLIST DUTIES. ACFT REVERTED TO IAS MODE AND CONTINUED TO DSND BELOW 11000 FT. IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS TAKEN, BUT ACFT WENT APPROX 400 FT BELOW 11000 FT BEFORE DSCNT STOPPED. THE ACFT WAS THEN BROUGHT BACK TO 11000 FT. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ACFT TO LOSE CAPTURE AND DSND BELOW 11000 FT.

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.