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A manufacturer's flight crew doing an acceptance flight test on a cessna citation ultra drifts out of their assigned altitude when the autoplt is inadvertently disconnected. No conflict.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 367370 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : any |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 38300 msl bound upper : 39000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 367370 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 367478 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
| 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 | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While doing system and avionics check in a citation ultra, the autoplt disengaged and the aircraft descended out of its assigned altitude of FL390. I was the assigned PIC, but not the PF at the time. I was busy performing the production acceptance checklist and noting engine and performance data. When I completed the checklist I glanced up and noticed the aircraft had drifted down to FL383, and that the autoplt was no longer engaged. We immediately climbed the aircraft back to FL390 and continued with the system check. No other aircraft was involved and center never questioned our altitude.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MANUFACTURER'S FLC DOING AN ACCEPTANCE FLT TEST ON A CESSNA CITATION ULTRA DRIFTS OUT OF THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE AUTOPLT IS INADVERTENTLY DISCONNECTED. NO CONFLICT.
Narrative: WHILE DOING SYS AND AVIONICS CHK IN A CITATION ULTRA, THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AND THE ACFT DSNDED OUT OF ITS ASSIGNED ALT OF FL390. I WAS THE ASSIGNED PIC, BUT NOT THE PF AT THE TIME. I WAS BUSY PERFORMING THE PRODUCTION ACCEPTANCE CHKLIST AND NOTING ENG AND PERFORMANCE DATA. WHEN I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST I GLANCED UP AND NOTICED THE ACFT HAD DRIFTED DOWN TO FL383, AND THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS NO LONGER ENGAGED. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED THE ACFT BACK TO FL390 AND CONTINUED WITH THE SYS CHK. NO OTHER ACFT WAS INVOLVED AND CTR NEVER QUESTIONED OUR ALT.
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.