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A descending MD80 overshot its altitude when the first officer does not follow the mandates of the flight guidance system's operating procedures.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 411850 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : stl |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10650 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 45 |
| ASRS Report | 411850 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Altitude assigned on the arrival was 11000 ft. During the descent for the qball 4 STAR the altitude was armed properly for 11000 ft. Nearing the leveloff, I was distracted retracting spoilers and I didn't notice the altitude capture light come on. I went to correct my slowing rate of descent by increasing vertical speed to 1500 FPM. This disengaged the altitude capture and the aircraft descended to 10650 ft. The problem was corrected but not in time. I believe the flight guidance system on the MD80 is far too susceptible to problems of this nature. The flight mode annunciator does not give you enough information quickly enough to respond to this particular problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DSNDING MD80 OVERSHOT ITS ALT WHEN THE FO DOES NOT FOLLOW THE MANDATES OF THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS'S OPERATING PROCS.
Narrative: ALT ASSIGNED ON THE ARR WAS 11000 FT. DURING THE DSCNT FOR THE QBALL 4 STAR THE ALT WAS ARMED PROPERLY FOR 11000 FT. NEARING THE LEVELOFF, I WAS DISTRACTED RETRACTING SPOILERS AND I DIDN'T NOTICE THE ALT CAPTURE LIGHT COME ON. I WENT TO CORRECT MY SLOWING RATE OF DSCNT BY INCREASING VERT SPD TO 1500 FPM. THIS DISENGAGED THE ALT CAPTURE AND THE ACFT DSNDED TO 10650 FT. THE PROB WAS CORRECTED BUT NOT IN TIME. I BELIEVE THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS ON THE MD80 IS FAR TOO SUSCEPTIBLE TO PROBS OF THIS NATURE. THE FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR DOES NOT GIVE YOU ENOUGH INFO QUICKLY ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO THIS PARTICULAR PROB.
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.