B757-200 crew noted that standby attitude indicator was malfunctioning.

Attributes
ACN	543221
Time
Date	200204
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	543221
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During climb out from den I noticed that the stand by horizon was 180 degrees inverted in display. It was perfectly level and indicating a climb into the black . Black represents the earth and blue the sky on this display. This had some how been overlooked by me, my first officer and the FAA inspector observing the flight. We had been plagued by mechanical problems with this aircraft. 1) popped circuit breaker for electric hydraulic pump. 2) failed pneumatic pressure for engine start. 3) GPWS warning failure. 4) fuel indicator failure. 5) instrument cooling normal system inoperative. We had returned to the gate for maintenance requiring an engine run up and circuit breakers being pulled and reset. At some point one of the 'gremlins' must have caused the standby horizon to tumble. We did not observe it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW NOTED THAT STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING.

Narrative: DURING CLIMB OUT FROM DEN I NOTICED THAT THE STAND BY HORIZON WAS 180 DEGS INVERTED IN DISPLAY. IT WAS PERFECTLY LEVEL AND INDICATING A CLIMB INTO THE BLACK . BLACK REPRESENTS THE EARTH AND BLUE THE SKY ON THIS DISPLAY. THIS HAD SOME HOW BEEN OVERLOOKED BY ME, MY FO AND THE FAA INSPECTOR OBSERVING THE FLT. WE HAD BEEN PLAGUED BY MECHANICAL PROBS WITH THIS ACFT. 1) POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR ELECTRIC HYD PUMP. 2) FAILED PNEUMATIC PRESSURE FOR ENG START. 3) GPWS WARNING FAILURE. 4) FUEL INDICATOR FAILURE. 5) INSTRUMENT COOLING NORMAL SYSTEM INOP. WE HAD RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT REQUIRING AN ENGINE RUN UP AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS BEING PULLED AND RESET. AT SOME POINT ONE OF THE 'GREMLINS' MUST HAVE CAUSED THE STANDBY HORIZON TO TUMBLE. WE DID NOT OBSERVE IT.

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.