<< >> NASA ASRS Report 376921, August 1997

MD80S aircraft being vectored for runway 1 and clearance for descent to 3000 ft. Approach controller tells flight crew to level at 5000 ft because they were changing runways. Autoplt failed to capture altitude and aircraft descended 200 ft below before captain reporter disconnected autoplt and regained the altitude.

Attributes
ACN	376921
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msy
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4800 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	376921
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	376920
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	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending into msy we were being vectored for runway 1 and given descent to 3000 ft. Approach said they were changing runways and now to stop at 5000 ft and we were going to runway 10. Approach gave this clearance. Passing about 5500 ft the autoplt did not capture at 5000 ft and autoplt was disconnected. During the disconnect, we bottomed out at 4800 ft before we could return to 5000 ft. Approach and landing were normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80S ACFT BEING VECTORED FOR RWY 1 AND CLRNC FOR DSCNT TO 3000 FT. APCH CTLR TELLS FLC TO LEVEL AT 5000 FT BECAUSE THEY WERE CHANGING RWYS. AUTOPLT FAILED TO CAPTURE ALT AND ACFT DSNDED 200 FT BELOW BEFORE CAPT RPTR DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND REGAINED THE ALT.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO MSY WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR RWY 1 AND GIVEN DSCNT TO 3000 FT. APCH SAID THEY WERE CHANGING RWYS AND NOW TO STOP AT 5000 FT AND WE WERE GOING TO RWY 10. APCH GAVE THIS CLRNC. PASSING ABOUT 5500 FT THE AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE AT 5000 FT AND AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED. DURING THE DISCONNECT, WE BOTTOMED OUT AT 4800 FT BEFORE WE COULD RETURN TO 5000 FT. APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL.

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.