 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An air carrier B727 PIC allows an altitude overshoot to FL195 while distraction with a minor equipment problem. There may have been a clearance interpretation problem as well. A loss of separation occurred with another air carrier B737 at FL200.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398844 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : jfk |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 19500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 398844 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During our climb through 17000 ft on the way to sju, I cleared to FL190, when I was told by the flight engineer that the left pack was not working properly. I glanced over to the engineer panel and noticed a 'cargo V closed light' came on. That caused enough distraction that I went through my assigned altitude. I caught my altitude going through FL193 and stopped it at FL195. I descended back down to FL190 and was assigned a new altitude of 17000 ft. We also had an RA at FL195. Flying out over the water, all 3 crew members were busy flying the aircraft, doing a navigation coast out check, and getting HF frequency assignment for overwater operation. Solution would be to have an automatic altitude leveloff feature to the autoplt when distraction creeps up on you during critical phases of flight, or have 1 person flying the airplane while the other 2 work on the problem. Sometimes easier said than done.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B727 PIC ALLOWS AN ALT OVERSHOOT TO FL195 WHILE DISTR WITH A MINOR EQUIP PROB. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A CLRNC INTERP PROB AS WELL. A LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED WITH ANOTHER ACR B737 AT FL200.
Narrative: DURING OUR CLB THROUGH 17000 FT ON THE WAY TO SJU, I CLRED TO FL190, WHEN I WAS TOLD BY THE FE THAT THE L PACK WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I GLANCED OVER TO THE ENGINEER PANEL AND NOTICED A 'CARGO V CLOSED LIGHT' CAME ON. THAT CAUSED ENOUGH DISTR THAT I WENT THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT. I CAUGHT MY ALT GOING THROUGH FL193 AND STOPPED IT AT FL195. I DSNDED BACK DOWN TO FL190 AND WAS ASSIGNED A NEW ALT OF 17000 FT. WE ALSO HAD AN RA AT FL195. FLYING OUT OVER THE WATER, ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WERE BUSY FLYING THE ACFT, DOING A NAV COAST OUT CHK, AND GETTING HF FREQ ASSIGNMENT FOR OVERWATER OP. SOLUTION WOULD BE TO HAVE AN AUTO ALT LEVELOFF FEATURE TO THE AUTOPLT WHEN DISTR CREEPS UP ON YOU DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT, OR HAVE 1 PERSON FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHILE THE OTHER 2 WORK ON THE PROB. SOMETIMES EASIER SAID THAN DONE.
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.