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Flight crew of a B727 overshot climb altitude due to the flying first officer not having the autoplt pitch control engaged and he was trying to use the autoplt trim to level the aircraft!
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 338560 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pbi airport : mia |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19340 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 5600 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 338560 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Climbing through FL180 for FL190, the first officer was flying the aircraft during the en route phase of flight. At that point first officer was on the autoplt, I called FL180 for FL190 per our company procedures, he acknowledged. What I did not realize at that point was that he had only the aileron portion of autoplt engaged (he evidently forgot, also), as he was trying to use autoplt trim to level off, which wasn't engaged, and by the time it took me to recognize what he had done we deviated from our altitude by no more than 300-340 ft per my altimeter (captain's). To prevent this from happening I will in the future require my first officer's to use entire autoplt system, as I do, to avoid problems such as these from happening, and try harder to monitor the PF at all times. We immediately descended to FL190. ZMA never made any comment and there was no other traffic in the vicinity of our flight. There was no conflict of any kind.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B727 OVERSHOT CLB ALT DUE TO THE FLYING FO NOT HAVING THE AUTOPLT PITCH CTL ENGAGED AND HE WAS TRYING TO USE THE AUTOPLT TRIM TO LEVEL THE ACFT!
Narrative: CLBING THROUGH FL180 FOR FL190, THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT DURING THE ENRTE PHASE OF FLT. AT THAT POINT FO WAS ON THE AUTOPLT, I CALLED FL180 FOR FL190 PER OUR COMPANY PROCS, HE ACKNOWLEDGED. WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE AT THAT POINT WAS THAT HE HAD ONLY THE AILERON PORTION OF AUTOPLT ENGAGED (HE EVIDENTLY FORGOT, ALSO), AS HE WAS TRYING TO USE AUTOPLT TRIM TO LEVEL OFF, WHICH WASN'T ENGAGED, AND BY THE TIME IT TOOK ME TO RECOGNIZE WHAT HE HAD DONE WE DEVIATED FROM OUR ALT BY NO MORE THAN 300-340 FT PER MY ALTIMETER (CAPT'S). TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING I WILL IN THE FUTURE REQUIRE MY FO'S TO USE ENTIRE AUTOPLT SYS, AS I DO, TO AVOID PROBS SUCH AS THESE FROM HAPPENING, AND TRY HARDER TO MONITOR THE PF AT ALL TIMES. WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO FL190. ZMA NEVER MADE ANY COMMENT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE VICINITY OF OUR FLT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT OF ANY KIND.
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.