Narrative:

We were descending into atlanta coming from alabama out of FL250 for a crossing restr of 14000 ft at tiroe. The captain was flying this leg with the autoplt engaged. Prior to reaching tiroe, we were given further clearance down to 10000 ft and slow to 210 KTS. We were doing about 320 KTS so the captain deployed the spoilers. Upon reaching 210 KTS, the captain called for flaps 8 degrees and flaps 20 degrees and he set the speed bug to 180 KTS. Just prior to reaching 10000 ft, ATC reported traffic at our 12 O'clock position. I diverted my attention to the TCASII, then outside, but didn't see any traffic. The autoplt captured 10000 ft and the aircraft began to slow to 180 KTS. The captain asked my opinion about accelerating back to 210 KTS and I agreed. At that moment, I saw the traffic descending in front of us closer than I'm used to seeing. Immediately ATC instructed us to turn to 360 degrees. In the turn, my eyes were on the traffic only to be distraction by a master caution light, followed by an amber caution message 'spoilers deployed.' I announced 'spoilers' and the captain immediately retracted them. ATC then gave us clearance to 5000 ft and I set it in the altitude alerter and proceeded to finish the descent checklist. The captain asked if the power setting was normal and I looked at the N1 and N2 and said that they were unusually high for level flight, with good reason -- we were not in level flight, we were actually climbing. ATC asked for our altitude and after a moment of shock I responded '...descending out of 12000 ft.' early in the flight, the captain's side autoplt would not engage in navigation mode. We switched to the copilot's side and it worked fine. The captain chose to fly utilizing the cross side autoplt. A few mins later, he (captain) noticed that the FMS would not accept VNAV. The FMS was the discussion for most of the flight. The captain had only logged a few flts out of IOE prior to this flight. He was new to jets and this level of automation. After discussing the event with the captain, it was unclr what buttons he pushed resulting in the climb. Supplemental information from acn 532395: I was having difficulties with the automation: autoplt/flight director, and misconfigured the aircraft. While we were busy trying to determine autoplt mode the aircraft climbed to approximately 12400 ft. This took about 1-2 mins to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAD AN ALTDEV WHILE TRYING TO OPERATE THE ACFT AUTOMATION, ON THE FGS IN ATL CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO ATLANTA COMING FROM ALABAMA OUT OF FL250 FOR A XING RESTR OF 14000 FT AT TIROE. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THIS LEG WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. PRIOR TO REACHING TIROE, WE WERE GIVEN FURTHER CLRNC DOWN TO 10000 FT AND SLOW TO 210 KTS. WE WERE DOING ABOUT 320 KTS SO THE CAPT DEPLOYED THE SPOILERS. UPON REACHING 210 KTS, THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS 8 DEGS AND FLAPS 20 DEGS AND HE SET THE SPD BUG TO 180 KTS. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING 10000 FT, ATC RPTED TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. I DIVERTED MY ATTN TO THE TCASII, THEN OUTSIDE, BUT DIDN'T SEE ANY TFC. THE AUTOPLT CAPTURED 10000 FT AND THE ACFT BEGAN TO SLOW TO 180 KTS. THE CAPT ASKED MY OPINION ABOUT ACCELERATING BACK TO 210 KTS AND I AGREED. AT THAT MOMENT, I SAW THE TFC DSNDING IN FRONT OF US CLOSER THAN I'M USED TO SEEING. IMMEDIATELY ATC INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO 360 DEGS. IN THE TURN, MY EYES WERE ON THE TFC ONLY TO BE DISTR BY A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT, FOLLOWED BY AN AMBER CAUTION MESSAGE 'SPOILERS DEPLOYED.' I ANNOUNCED 'SPOILERS' AND THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY RETRACTED THEM. ATC THEN GAVE US CLRNC TO 5000 FT AND I SET IT IN THE ALT ALERTER AND PROCEEDED TO FINISH THE DSCNT CHKLIST. THE CAPT ASKED IF THE PWR SETTING WAS NORMAL AND I LOOKED AT THE N1 AND N2 AND SAID THAT THEY WERE UNUSUALLY HIGH FOR LEVEL FLT, WITH GOOD REASON -- WE WERE NOT IN LEVEL FLT, WE WERE ACTUALLY CLBING. ATC ASKED FOR OUR ALT AND AFTER A MOMENT OF SHOCK I RESPONDED '...DSNDING OUT OF 12000 FT.' EARLY IN THE FLT, THE CAPT'S SIDE AUTOPLT WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN NAV MODE. WE SWITCHED TO THE COPLT'S SIDE AND IT WORKED FINE. THE CAPT CHOSE TO FLY UTILIZING THE CROSS SIDE AUTOPLT. A FEW MINS LATER, HE (CAPT) NOTICED THAT THE FMS WOULD NOT ACCEPT VNAV. THE FMS WAS THE DISCUSSION FOR MOST OF THE FLT. THE CAPT HAD ONLY LOGGED A FEW FLTS OUT OF IOE PRIOR TO THIS FLT. HE WAS NEW TO JETS AND THIS LEVEL OF AUTOMATION. AFTER DISCUSSING THE EVENT WITH THE CAPT, IT WAS UNCLR WHAT BUTTONS HE PUSHED RESULTING IN THE CLB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532395: I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AUTOMATION: AUTOPLT/FLT DIRECTOR, AND MISCONFIGURED THE ACFT. WHILE WE WERE BUSY TRYING TO DETERMINE AUTOPLT MODE THE ACFT CLBED TO APPROX 12400 FT. THIS TOOK ABOUT 1-2 MINS TO HAPPEN.

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.