<< >> NASA ASRS Report 367091, April 1997

3 engine medium large transport climbed 300 ft above assigned altitude of 11000 ft when autoplt tripped off apparently due to an out of trim condition. Flight crew immediately returned aircraft to assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	367091
Time
Date	199704
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iai
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 4700
ASRS Report	367091
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	367091
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
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:

Shortly after level off the red flashing autoplt disengage light illuminated and the autoplt disengaged. The altitude alert light illuminated and the chime sounded as the aircraft pitched up through 11300 ft. The captain was identing the vors while I was turning the aircraft with the autoplt and setting my omni bearing selector. As the aircraft pitched up, both the captain and I corrected the aircraft's pitch and returned to assigned altitude of 11000 ft. Found the aircraft greatly out of trim. The flight continued without incident. On a subsequent leg the electric trim ceased to trim nose down due to a defective limit switch found by maintenance. I believe this may have led to the autoplt disengagement and out of trim condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 3 ENG MLG CLBED 300 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000 FT WHEN AUTOPLT TRIPPED OFF APPARENTLY DUE TO AN OUT OF TRIM CONDITION. FLC IMMEDIATELY RETURNED ACFT TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LEVEL OFF THE RED FLASHING AUTOPLT DISENGAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. THE ALT ALERT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CHIME SOUNDED AS THE ACFT PITCHED UP THROUGH 11300 FT. THE CAPT WAS IDENTING THE VORS WHILE I WAS TURNING THE ACFT WITH THE AUTOPLT AND SETTING MY OMNI BEARING SELECTOR. AS THE ACFT PITCHED UP, BOTH THE CAPT AND I CORRECTED THE ACFT'S PITCH AND RETURNED TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000 FT. FOUND THE ACFT GREATLY OUT OF TRIM. THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON A SUBSEQUENT LEG THE ELECTRIC TRIM CEASED TO TRIM NOSE DOWN DUE TO A DEFECTIVE LIMIT SWITCH FOUND BY MAINT. I BELIEVE THIS MAY HAVE LED TO THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGEMENT AND OUT OF TRIM CONDITION.

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.