A DC10 flight crew was too busy to note the autoplt disconnect and their deviation from altitude. Bright day on top and no aural warning. Crew was busy copying an ACARS re-release.

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Attributes
ACN	400760
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : czqx
State Reference	NF
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czqx tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : czqx
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	400760
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 235 flight time total : 20872 flight time type : 865
ASRS Report	400756
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flight during IFR -- visual on top. Autoplt disconnected while crew was reading and copying the re-release. Altitude deviation was 600 ft. Contributing factors -- very bright glare in cockpit and no aural disconnect warning.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 FLC WAS TOO BUSY TO NOTE THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECT AND THEIR DEV FROM ALT. BRIGHT DAY ON TOP AND NO AURAL WARNING. CREW WAS BUSY COPYING AN ACARS RE-RELEASE.

Narrative: FLT DURING IFR -- VISUAL ON TOP. AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED WHILE CREW WAS READING AND COPYING THE RE-RELEASE. ALTDEV WAS 600 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS -- VERY BRIGHT GLARE IN COCKPIT AND NO AURAL DISCONNECT WARNING.

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.