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MD80 flight crew overshoot assigned altitude on departure when both pilots attempt to troubleshoot compass system split.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 510322 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200105 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr.airport |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : nzaa.tower |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 14000 |
| ASRS Report | 510322 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 510481 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : altitude alert other other : altitude alert |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Both compass system split on initial turn to heading of 190 degrees. Divergence increased radically on turn to 220 degrees at 2.3 mi DME. Attention diverted to standby compass to confirm actual heading. Exceeded assigned altitude of 2500 ft by approximately 600 ft. Returned to 2500 ft expeditiously and continued to work compass problem. In retrospect, I inappropriately devoted too much attention to the abnormal condition rather than maintaining more comprehensive situational awareness. Additionally, the standby compass on the DC9/MD80 is abysmal. It is an awkward arrangement, at best. The compass must be viewed through a system of mirrors which easily get out of alignment. The monitoring pilot was removed from his 'monitoring role' by the immediate need to realign the mirrors of the standby compass. Supplemental information from acn 510481: we had a compass discrepancy. I attempted to confirm our heading by using the magnetic compass and xchking with both compass system. This is accomplished on the MD80 with a series of mirrors and lights. The captain was flying the aircraft. A few seconds later, I heard the altitude reporter notify us of a deviation. I feel I could have monitored the aircraft better, had I not been trying to find the compass in the back of the cockpit through the series of mirrors.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD80 FLC OVERSHOOT ASSIGNED ALT ON DEP WHEN BOTH PLTS ATTEMPT TO TROUBLESHOOT COMPASS SYS SPLIT.
Narrative: BOTH COMPASS SYS SPLIT ON INITIAL TURN TO HDG OF 190 DEGS. DIVERGENCE INCREASED RADICALLY ON TURN TO 220 DEGS AT 2.3 MI DME. ATTN DIVERTED TO STANDBY COMPASS TO CONFIRM ACTUAL HDG. EXCEEDED ASSIGNED ALT OF 2500 FT BY APPROX 600 FT. RETURNED TO 2500 FT EXPEDITIOUSLY AND CONTINUED TO WORK COMPASS PROB. IN RETROSPECT, I INAPPROPRIATELY DEVOTED TOO MUCH ATTN TO THE ABNORMAL CONDITION RATHER THAN MAINTAINING MORE COMPREHENSIVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ADDITIONALLY, THE STANDBY COMPASS ON THE DC9/MD80 IS ABYSMAL. IT IS AN AWKWARD ARRANGEMENT, AT BEST. THE COMPASS MUST BE VIEWED THROUGH A SYS OF MIRRORS WHICH EASILY GET OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE MONITORING PLT WAS REMOVED FROM HIS 'MONITORING ROLE' BY THE IMMEDIATE NEED TO REALIGN THE MIRRORS OF THE STANDBY COMPASS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 510481: WE HAD A COMPASS DISCREPANCY. I ATTEMPTED TO CONFIRM OUR HDG BY USING THE MAGNETIC COMPASS AND XCHKING WITH BOTH COMPASS SYS. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE MD80 WITH A SERIES OF MIRRORS AND LIGHTS. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I HEARD THE ALT RPTR NOTIFY US OF A DEV. I FEEL I COULD HAVE MONITORED THE ACFT BETTER, HAD I NOT BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE COMPASS IN THE BACK OF THE COCKPIT THROUGH THE SERIES OF MIRRORS.
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.