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An air carrier A300 freighter flight crew had the #1 autoplt and the #1 flight director disconnect as the aircraft was in its turn to intercept the localizer. While attempting to analyze the autoflt system problem the flight crew turned to the wrong heading to intercept the inbound course.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 396710 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : den |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : den |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 7300 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 396710 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Cleared to intercept localizer for runway 17L. At time of intercept, autoplt disconnected and #1 flight director was inoperative. PF selected #2 flight director and re-engaged #2 autoplt. Autoplt disconnected again. PNF said to turn 10 degrees right, but he was looking at heading. Controller said to turn left to intercept and asked if correct frequency was in. It was and once a confirmation of correct runway was made a safe and uneventful landing was made. No conflicts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying an A300-600 and was able to re-engage the #1 autoplt and the #1 flight director later in the approach. He said that the system operated normally throughout several flts that night. He did not write up the system as he suspected that he had not armed the ILS mode in a timely manner. The captain said that the controller caught their undershoot immediately and turned them back to an intercept heading. He appreciated the controller's quick response.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR A300 FREIGHTER FLC HAD THE #1 AUTOPLT AND THE #1 FLT DIRECTOR DISCONNECT AS THE ACFT WAS IN ITS TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ANALYZE THE AUTOFLT SYS PROB THE FLC TURNED TO THE WRONG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE INBOUND COURSE.
Narrative: CLRED TO INTERCEPT LOC FOR RWY 17L. AT TIME OF INTERCEPT, AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND #1 FLT DIRECTOR WAS INOP. PF SELECTED #2 FLT DIRECTOR AND RE-ENGAGED #2 AUTOPLT. AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AGAIN. PNF SAID TO TURN 10 DEGS R, BUT HE WAS LOOKING AT HDG. CTLR SAID TO TURN L TO INTERCEPT AND ASKED IF CORRECT FREQ WAS IN. IT WAS AND ONCE A CONFIRMATION OF CORRECT RWY WAS MADE A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. NO CONFLICTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING AN A300-600 AND WAS ABLE TO RE-ENGAGE THE #1 AUTOPLT AND THE #1 FLT DIRECTOR LATER IN THE APCH. HE SAID THAT THE SYS OPERATED NORMALLY THROUGHOUT SEVERAL FLTS THAT NIGHT. HE DID NOT WRITE UP THE SYS AS HE SUSPECTED THAT HE HAD NOT ARMED THE ILS MODE IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE CTLR CAUGHT THEIR UNDERSHOOT IMMEDIATELY AND TURNED THEM BACK TO AN INTERCEPT HDG. HE APPRECIATED THE CTLR'S QUICK RESPONSE.
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.