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First officer of B737 cleared to descend for smoother flight level mistakenly moves vertical speed wheel in wrong direction. This results in a climb instead of a descent. Captain catches the error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 394540 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199802 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : obe |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 19500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 394540 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
First officer flying aircraft on autoplt in very rough air to FL190. ATC and other aircraft reported smoother rides below FL180. Leveling, we requested and received clearance to descend to 17000 ft, and first officer was slowing from 320 KIAS to 280 KIAS for turbulent air penetration. He spun vertical speed wheel in wrong direction, initiating a climb instead of descent, and since aircraft was very fat on energy for being 40 KTS faster than selected airspeed, we shot to FL195 before captain could reverse the climb. We promptly descended back through FL190 for 17000 ft, and no conflicts were reported to us. The first officer was task saturated and allowed his attention to depart from flying the aircraft. He had spun the vertical speed wheel while looking down at his commercial chart SID plate, and did not know aircraft was climbing until captain took over.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF B737 CLRED TO DSND FOR SMOOTHER FLT LEVEL MISTAKENLY MOVES VERT SPD WHEEL IN WRONG DIRECTION. THIS RESULTS IN A CLB INSTEAD OF A DSCNT. CAPT CATCHES THE ERROR.
Narrative: FO FLYING ACFT ON AUTOPLT IN VERY ROUGH AIR TO FL190. ATC AND OTHER ACFT RPTED SMOOTHER RIDES BELOW FL180. LEVELING, WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO 17000 FT, AND FO WAS SLOWING FROM 320 KIAS TO 280 KIAS FOR TURBULENT AIR PENETRATION. HE SPUN VERT SPD WHEEL IN WRONG DIRECTION, INITIATING A CLB INSTEAD OF DSCNT, AND SINCE ACFT WAS VERY FAT ON ENERGY FOR BEING 40 KTS FASTER THAN SELECTED AIRSPD, WE SHOT TO FL195 BEFORE CAPT COULD REVERSE THE CLB. WE PROMPTLY DSNDED BACK THROUGH FL190 FOR 17000 FT, AND NO CONFLICTS WERE RPTED TO US. THE FO WAS TASK SATURATED AND ALLOWED HIS ATTN TO DEPART FROM FLYING THE ACFT. HE HAD SPUN THE VERT SPD WHEEL WHILE LOOKING DOWN AT HIS COMMERCIAL CHART SID PLATE, AND DID NOT KNOW ACFT WAS CLBING UNTIL CAPT TOOK OVER.
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.