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A PA46 malibu pilot climbs 300 ft above his assigned altitude when he is distraction by a fuel pump warning light coming south of pdx, or.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 468190 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | OR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Piper Single Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : ns.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 468190 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was supplying pilot service on a piper malibu PA46-350P from pdx to rno to rdd and return to pdx. While climbing to 15000 ft (the assigned altitude), I had armed the altitude preselect for that altitude and experienced an in-flight emergency. The right fuel boost pump warning light illuminated and, while I was dealing with the checklist items trying to resolve the emergency, ZSE called to confirm my altitude assignment, and when I checked the altimeter, I was approximately 300 ft above the assigned 15000 ft and immediately applied corrective action to return to the assigned altitude and apologized to center, telling them that I had got off just a nickel and was returning to 15000 ft assigned. Shortly after leveling off at 15000 ft, I resolved the boost pump failure, but tried the altitude preselect several more times and it had failed on me and never worked again. I flew the remainder of the flight without further deviations. This was a classic example of getting preoccupied with an emergency in-flight and not monitoring altitude control. I had expected the altitude preselect to work and it did not.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA46 MALIBU PLT CLBS 300 FT ABOVE HIS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN HE IS DISTR BY A FUEL PUMP WARNING LIGHT COMING S OF PDX, OR.
Narrative: I WAS SUPPLYING PLT SVC ON A PIPER MALIBU PA46-350P FROM PDX TO RNO TO RDD AND RETURN TO PDX. WHILE CLBING TO 15000 FT (THE ASSIGNED ALT), I HAD ARMED THE ALT PRESELECT FOR THAT ALT AND EXPERIENCED AN INFLT EMER. THE R FUEL BOOST PUMP WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND, WHILE I WAS DEALING WITH THE CHKLIST ITEMS TRYING TO RESOLVE THE EMER, ZSE CALLED TO CONFIRM MY ALT ASSIGNMENT, AND WHEN I CHKED THE ALTIMETER, I WAS APPROX 300 FT ABOVE THE ASSIGNED 15000 FT AND IMMEDIATELY APPLIED CORRECTIVE ACTION TO RETURN TO THE ASSIGNED ALT AND APOLOGIZED TO CTR, TELLING THEM THAT I HAD GOT OFF JUST A NICKEL AND WAS RETURNING TO 15000 FT ASSIGNED. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 15000 FT, I RESOLVED THE BOOST PUMP FAILURE, BUT TRIED THE ALT PRESELECT SEVERAL MORE TIMES AND IT HAD FAILED ON ME AND NEVER WORKED AGAIN. I FLEW THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER DEVS. THIS WAS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF GETTING PREOCCUPIED WITH AN EMER INFLT AND NOT MONITORING ALT CTL. I HAD EXPECTED THE ALT PRESELECT TO WORK AND IT DID NOT.
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.