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An air carrier B747 freighter flight crew has the 'a' autoplt suddenly pitch down at FL350. The captain was able to recover manually and the autoplt malfunction was entered in the maintenance log.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 374822 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gyr |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34500 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : lhcc tower : mci |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute airway : lhcc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3800 |
| ASRS Report | 374822 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 570 |
| ASRS Report | 375770 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Cruising at FL350 mach .84 over western hungary the 'a' autoplt malfunctioned. The flight engineer and captain were at station. The first officer had left the flight deck en route to upper deck cabin. Without warning, the nose pitched hard down. Altitude alert sounded, the autoplt was manually disconnected. The aircraft was retrimmed and the pitch condition was corrected in order to stop descent and recover altitude and maintain level flight. As a precaution 'B' autoplt was engaged. Entered the details in maintenance log. All took place in a brief encounter with turbulence. Remainder of flight uneventful.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B747 FREIGHTER FLC HAS THE 'A' AUTOPLT SUDDENLY PITCH DOWN AT FL350. THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER MANUALLY AND THE AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION WAS ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOG.
Narrative: CRUISING AT FL350 MACH .84 OVER WESTERN HUNGARY THE 'A' AUTOPLT MALFUNCTIONED. THE FE AND CAPT WERE AT STATION. THE FO HAD LEFT THE FLT DECK ENRTE TO UPPER DECK CABIN. WITHOUT WARNING, THE NOSE PITCHED HARD DOWN. ALT ALERT SOUNDED, THE AUTOPLT WAS MANUALLY DISCONNECTED. THE ACFT WAS RETRIMMED AND THE PITCH CONDITION WAS CORRECTED IN ORDER TO STOP DSCNT AND RECOVER ALT AND MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. AS A PRECAUTION 'B' AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. ENTERED THE DETAILS IN MAINT LOG. ALL TOOK PLACE IN A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH TURB. REMAINDER OF FLT UNEVENTFUL.
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.