<< >> NASA ASRS Report 352640, November 1996

Rotary winged aircraft IAP non precision approach in IMC. Aircraft equipment problem with altitude hold in autoplt creates pitch up and temporary loss of aircraft control.

Attributes
ACN	352640
Time
Date	199611
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hfd
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hfd
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	352640
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Autoplt leveled helicopter at a 400 ft MDA during a coupled non precision instrument approach. Moments later autoplt commanded an abrupt pitch-up causing airspeed decrease from 60 KIAS to zero with a low power setting. Helicopter began falling vertically as maximum power was applied. The aircraft was recovered below 100 ft in ground effect and flown to a missed approach without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED ACFT IAP NON PRECISION APCH IN IMC. ACFT EQUIP PROB WITH ALT HOLD IN AUTOPLT CREATES PITCH UP AND TEMPORARY LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: AUTOPLT LEVELED HELI AT A 400 FT MDA DURING A COUPLED NON PRECISION INST APCH. MOMENTS LATER AUTOPLT COMMANDED AN ABRUPT PITCH-UP CAUSING AIRSPD DECREASE FROM 60 KIAS TO ZERO WITH A LOW PWR SETTING. HELI BEGAN FALLING VERTLY AS MAX PWR WAS APPLIED. THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED BELOW 100 FT IN GND EFFECT AND FLOWN TO A MISSED APCH WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.