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Altitude deviation on descent. Reporter using vertical speed descent forgot to arm altitude capture. Caught it as aircraft descended through assigned altitude and returned to assigned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 342680 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : har |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16700 msl bound upper : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zny |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time total : 20000 |
| ASRS Report | 342680 |
| 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:
Operating on autoplt we were cleared to 17000 ft. I reached across autoplt control panel and set 17000 ft in altitude window and started aircraft down in vertical speed mode (vs). The autoplt did not capture. As I watched it pass 17000 ft, I disconnected autoplt and smoothly stopped descent and recapture 17000 ft manually. Autoplt has an addition 'armed' button that I had not pressed on this airplane which I have little experience. Selecting and arming altitude is normally done by copilot because of the control locations. He was having a bite to eat or was otherwise occupied when the clearance was received.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALTDEV ON DSCNT. RPTR USING VERT SPD DSCNT FORGOT TO ARM ALT CAPTURE. CAUGHT IT AS ACFT DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT AND RETURNED TO ASSIGNED.
Narrative: OPERATING ON AUTOPLT WE WERE CLRED TO 17000 FT. I REACHED ACROSS AUTOPLT CTL PANEL AND SET 17000 FT IN ALT WINDOW AND STARTED ACFT DOWN IN VERT SPD MODE (VS). THE AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE. AS I WATCHED IT PASS 17000 FT, I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND SMOOTHLY STOPPED DSCNT AND RECAPTURE 17000 FT MANUALLY. AUTOPLT HAS AN ADDITION 'ARMED' BUTTON THAT I HAD NOT PRESSED ON THIS AIRPLANE WHICH I HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE. SELECTING AND ARMING ALT IS NORMALLY DONE BY COPLT BECAUSE OF THE CTL LOCATIONS. HE WAS HAVING A BITE TO EAT OR WAS OTHERWISE OCCUPIED WHEN THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED.
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.