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B737 crew was not given the customary altitude crossing restr by center. Aircraft also had malfunctioning autoplt.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 448641 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199909 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mad.vor |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc tracon : y90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : dpk2 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 7660 |
| ASRS Report | 448641 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
This aircraft had an MEL which indicated that the autoplt pitch was unreliable at high altitude. Autoplt pitch proved unreliable in descent as well and had a tendency to reduce descent even with 'level change' selected on flight guidance panel. On descent into bdl, center usually gives a crossing restr at mad of 11000 ft on the DPK2 arrival. We were prepared for this but center merely cleared us to 11000 ft. Upon changeover to bdl approach, the controller questioned why we were not yet at 11000 ft passing mad. Besides not having been given the crossing restr, the airplane had actually begun a climb toward 12000 ft as I looked away at a chart for a radial to fly. No conflict developed with other aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 CREW WAS NOT GIVEN THE CUSTOMARY ALT XING RESTR BY CTR. ACFT ALSO HAD MALFUNCTIONING AUTOPLT.
Narrative: THIS ACFT HAD AN MEL WHICH INDICATED THAT THE AUTOPLT PITCH WAS UNRELIABLE AT HIGH ALT. AUTOPLT PITCH PROVED UNRELIABLE IN DSCNT AS WELL AND HAD A TENDENCY TO REDUCE DSCNT EVEN WITH 'LEVEL CHANGE' SELECTED ON FLT GUIDANCE PANEL. ON DSCNT INTO BDL, CTR USUALLY GIVES A XING RESTR AT MAD OF 11000 FT ON THE DPK2 ARR. WE WERE PREPARED FOR THIS BUT CTR MERELY CLRED US TO 11000 FT. UPON CHANGEOVER TO BDL APCH, THE CTLR QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE NOT YET AT 11000 FT PASSING MAD. BESIDES NOT HAVING BEEN GIVEN THE XING RESTR, THE AIRPLANE HAD ACTUALLY BEGUN A CLB TOWARD 12000 FT AS I LOOKED AWAY AT A CHART FOR A RADIAL TO FLY. NO CONFLICT DEVELOPED WITH OTHER ACFT.
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.