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Pilot fussing with autoplt goes below GS until given an alert by tower and he returns to flying the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 443877 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199907 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : phl.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 2100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : phl.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 27r other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 443877 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : msaw other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Copilot was flying and cleared for approach phl ILS runway 27R. After cleared to 2100 ft MSL, copilot was trying to get autoplt to lock on for ILS to runway 27R turning right to speez (OM). During landing checklist, aircraft started descending through 2100 ft MSL after speez at around 1500 FPM. After I mentioned our altitude and being 2 dots low on GS, he started leveling off at 1200 ft MSL, at which time tower asked us to check our altitude because they were getting a low altitude alert. Copilot maintained 1200 ft MSL until GS recapture to an uneventful landing. It appeared that we lost track of rate of descent while looking at the ground for a visual reference to our position. Also, his attempts to lock on with autoplt failed for some reason (unneeded distraction). Our visibility straight ahead was approximately 2 SM, but we could see the ground clearly. I'm not sure if he was looking at airspeed bug and trying to slow aircraft or not, but his scan failed to see the deviation (low) of our GS. Doing the landing checklist caused me to not catch our deviation (low) until 1500 ft MSL, at which time corrections were put into place to level off. I think a little earlier preparation on base leg could have helped us from being rushed on final. Copilot using raw data to manually fly approach instead of wasting precious time trying to get the autoplt to capture the approach was essential. Once he did that, remainder of approach and landing were fine.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT FUSSING WITH AUTOPLT GOES BELOW GS UNTIL GIVEN AN ALERT BY TWR AND HE RETURNS TO FLYING THE ACFT.
Narrative: COPLT WAS FLYING AND CLRED FOR APCH PHL ILS RWY 27R. AFTER CLRED TO 2100 FT MSL, COPLT WAS TRYING TO GET AUTOPLT TO LOCK ON FOR ILS TO RWY 27R TURNING R TO SPEEZ (OM). DURING LNDG CHKLIST, ACFT STARTED DSNDING THROUGH 2100 FT MSL AFTER SPEEZ AT AROUND 1500 FPM. AFTER I MENTIONED OUR ALT AND BEING 2 DOTS LOW ON GS, HE STARTED LEVELING OFF AT 1200 FT MSL, AT WHICH TIME TWR ASKED US TO CHK OUR ALT BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING A LOW ALT ALERT. COPLT MAINTAINED 1200 FT MSL UNTIL GS RECAPTURE TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IT APPEARED THAT WE LOST TRACK OF RATE OF DSCNT WHILE LOOKING AT THE GND FOR A VISUAL REF TO OUR POS. ALSO, HIS ATTEMPTS TO LOCK ON WITH AUTOPLT FAILED FOR SOME REASON (UNNEEDED DISTR). OUR VISIBILITY STRAIGHT AHEAD WAS APPROX 2 SM, BUT WE COULD SEE THE GND CLRLY. I'M NOT SURE IF HE WAS LOOKING AT AIRSPD BUG AND TRYING TO SLOW ACFT OR NOT, BUT HIS SCAN FAILED TO SEE THE DEV (LOW) OF OUR GS. DOING THE LNDG CHKLIST CAUSED ME TO NOT CATCH OUR DEV (LOW) UNTIL 1500 FT MSL, AT WHICH TIME CORRECTIONS WERE PUT INTO PLACE TO LEVEL OFF. I THINK A LITTLE EARLIER PREPARATION ON BASE LEG COULD HAVE HELPED US FROM BEING RUSHED ON FINAL. COPLT USING RAW DATA TO MANUALLY FLY APCH INSTEAD OF WASTING PRECIOUS TIME TRYING TO GET THE AUTOPLT TO CAPTURE THE APCH WAS ESSENTIAL. ONCE HE DID THAT, REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG WERE FINE.
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.