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Small aircraft aircraft on training flight. Trainee was being instructed on autoplt operations when the pitch control was positioned in trim down. The aircraft descended 500 ft before flight crew stopped descent and climbed back to assigned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 352720 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199611 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bal airport : bwi |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bwi artcc : zab |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 75 |
| ASRS Report | 352720 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude 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:
Cleared by bwi ATC to 5000 ft direct lrp. At 5000 ft I instructed the instrument rated pilot to turn on the autoplt for altitude and heading function instruction. The aircraft was holding heading but began to climb. As the pilot reached to trim the aircraft down a gust must have jolted his hand and forced the 'trim down' to its limits. 500 ft was lost before our descent was arrested. While regaining altitude I informed ATC of autoplt problem and was told it was not a problem. Autoplt functioned properly the remainder of the flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ACFT ON TRAINING FLT. TRAINEE WAS BEING INSTRUCTED ON AUTOPLT OPS WHEN THE PITCH CTL WAS POSITIONED IN TRIM DOWN. THE ACFT DSNDED 500 FT BEFORE FLC STOPPED DSCNT AND CLBED BACK TO ASSIGNED.
Narrative: CLRED BY BWI ATC TO 5000 FT DIRECT LRP. AT 5000 FT I INSTRUCTED THE INST RATED PLT TO TURN ON THE AUTOPLT FOR ALT AND HDG FUNCTION INSTRUCTION. THE ACFT WAS HOLDING HDG BUT BEGAN TO CLB. AS THE PLT REACHED TO TRIM THE ACFT DOWN A GUST MUST HAVE JOLTED HIS HAND AND FORCED THE 'TRIM DOWN' TO ITS LIMITS. 500 FT WAS LOST BEFORE OUR DSCNT WAS ARRESTED. WHILE REGAINING ALT I INFORMED ATC OF AUTOPLT PROB AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A PROB. AUTOPLT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT.
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.