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A B727 first officer fails to level the aircraft at FL350 while using the autoplt control wheel for the leveloff maneuver. Rptrs cite the sluggish performance as causal to the overshoots, going up and, when correcting, down. Leveloff finally done manually.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 400020 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : psb |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34700 msl bound upper : 35300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob |
| 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 airway : j60 |
| 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 : 230 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 400020 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 2100 |
| ASRS Report | 400227 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
On captain's leg, turned aircraft over to first officer in order to have crew meal. In climb at time, passing FL310 to level at FL350 on autoplt. First officer attempted leveloff on autoplt with pitch control, but overshot FL350. In attempt to descend to FL350, passed through FL350 and deviated below. At this time the first officer disengaged autoplt and returned to FL350. In reflection, captain or first officer should have disengaged the autoplt on the first deviation and hand flown back to FL350. Due to different autoplts on our fleet, some pitch controls are instantaneous in pitch change and others take considerable input to effect a change. This one is one of the latter types. I believe this contributed to the deviations. Supplemental information from acn 400227: leveloff initiated at normal time but the aircraft was slow to respond to autoplt pitch inputs. Also, disconnecting the autoplt at the first sign of sluggishness and hand flying the aircraft to level off at FL350 would have been a more appropriate action -- one I surely will follow in the future.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727 FO FAILS TO LEVEL THE ACFT AT FL350 WHILE USING THE AUTOPLT CTL WHEEL FOR THE LEVELOFF MANEUVER. RPTRS CITE THE SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE AS CAUSAL TO THE OVERSHOOTS, GOING UP AND, WHEN CORRECTING, DOWN. LEVELOFF FINALLY DONE MANUALLY.
Narrative: ON CAPT'S LEG, TURNED ACFT OVER TO FO IN ORDER TO HAVE CREW MEAL. IN CLB AT TIME, PASSING FL310 TO LEVEL AT FL350 ON AUTOPLT. FO ATTEMPTED LEVELOFF ON AUTOPLT WITH PITCH CTL, BUT OVERSHOT FL350. IN ATTEMPT TO DSND TO FL350, PASSED THROUGH FL350 AND DEVIATED BELOW. AT THIS TIME THE FO DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND RETURNED TO FL350. IN REFLECTION, CAPT OR FO SHOULD HAVE DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT ON THE FIRST DEV AND HAND FLOWN BACK TO FL350. DUE TO DIFFERENT AUTOPLTS ON OUR FLEET, SOME PITCH CTLS ARE INSTANTANEOUS IN PITCH CHANGE AND OTHERS TAKE CONSIDERABLE INPUT TO EFFECT A CHANGE. THIS ONE IS ONE OF THE LATTER TYPES. I BELIEVE THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 400227: LEVELOFF INITIATED AT NORMAL TIME BUT THE ACFT WAS SLOW TO RESPOND TO AUTOPLT PITCH INPUTS. ALSO, DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT AT THE FIRST SIGN OF SLUGGISHNESS AND HAND FLYING THE ACFT TO LEVEL OFF AT FL350 WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE APPROPRIATE ACTION -- ONE I SURELY WILL FOLLOW IN THE FUTURE.
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.