Narrative:

Incident occurred while climbing out of san on the pebble 2 departure into a very bright setting sun. Both pilots had sunglasses and windshield sun screens in use. Even with these devices in use and cockpit CRT's in the full bright position, seeing the flight instruments was very difficult. Captain was PF, autoflt with LNAV and VNAV selected in use. The aircraft was supposed to make a left turn after passing pebble. Somewhere prior to medley the LNAV had disengaged and the aircraft had drifted right of course for approximately 2 mins. ATC inquired what our heading was, about the same time we noted the deviation. I disengaged the autoflt, slowed both the climb and airspeed, and corrected to the left. I initially overcorrected and got outside the course -- this time to the left. I would estimate it took us another 2 mins to reintercept the course exactly and re-establish our climb rate. ATC asked us if we had descended during the departure. Copilot replied we had leveled for a min while re-establishing correct navigation. In fact, we never leveled, but had continued the climb the entire period, but at a reduced rate of approximately 500 FPM. In my opinion, this incident was a direct result of the distraction/difficulties the sunlight/glare created and our inability to easily see the LNAV disengagement on our cockpit CRT's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DEV FROM ASSIGNED HDG CLRNC DURING DEP.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE CLBING OUT OF SAN ON THE PEBBLE 2 DEP INTO A VERY BRIGHT SETTING SUN. BOTH PLTS HAD SUNGLASSES AND WINDSHIELD SUN SCREENS IN USE. EVEN WITH THESE DEVICES IN USE AND COCKPIT CRT'S IN THE FULL BRIGHT POS, SEEING THE FLT INSTS WAS VERY DIFFICULT. CAPT WAS PF, AUTOFLT WITH LNAV AND VNAV SELECTED IN USE. THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE A L TURN AFTER PASSING PEBBLE. SOMEWHERE PRIOR TO MEDLEY THE LNAV HAD DISENGAGED AND THE ACFT HAD DRIFTED R OF COURSE FOR APPROX 2 MINS. ATC INQUIRED WHAT OUR HDG WAS, ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE NOTED THE DEV. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOFLT, SLOWED BOTH THE CLB AND AIRSPD, AND CORRECTED TO THE L. I INITIALLY OVERCORRECTED AND GOT OUTSIDE THE COURSE -- THIS TIME TO THE L. I WOULD ESTIMATE IT TOOK US ANOTHER 2 MINS TO REINTERCEPT THE COURSE EXACTLY AND RE-ESTABLISH OUR CLB RATE. ATC ASKED US IF WE HAD DSNDED DURING THE DEP. COPLT REPLIED WE HAD LEVELED FOR A MIN WHILE RE-ESTABLISHING CORRECT NAV. IN FACT, WE NEVER LEVELED, BUT HAD CONTINUED THE CLB THE ENTIRE PERIOD, BUT AT A REDUCED RATE OF APPROX 500 FPM. IN MY OPINION, THIS INCIDENT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE DISTR/DIFFICULTIES THE SUNLIGHT/GLARE CREATED AND OUR INABILITY TO EASILY SEE THE LNAV DISENGAGEMENT ON OUR COCKPIT CRT'S.

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.