<< >> NASA ASRS Report 637801, November 2004

Flight crew of MD11 experience failure of captain's CADC in IMC shortly after takeoff. First officer assumes control for return land.

Attributes
ACN	637801
Time
Date	200411
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ont.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : opf.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 165
ASRS Report	637801
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff, experienced a loss of airspeed, altitude, vertical speed and possible attitude. Transitioned immediately to standby instruments. IMC at this time and broke out of the low cloud and was able to maintain attitude. Initial clearance was 7000 ft on departure and may have possibly exceeded that and possibly exceeded 250 KTS airspeed. Aircraft was continually displaying numerous faults and failures, master warning and master caution. Weren't sure what the problem was. Did the airspeed loss, erratic unreliable checklist and determined captain's CADC was faulty. Xferred control of aircraft to first officer for an uneventful approach and landing on runway 26L in ontario. Had a jump seating MD11 captain on board was assisted with checklists and other tasks. Maintenance determined that there was blockages in the captain's and first officer's pitot tubes along with a failure of left CADC. Aircraft was subsequently repaired and operated normally for the next flight segment. I believe we took the correct initial action by transitioning immediately to the standby instruments, and luckily, were able to maintain attitude and altitude, and airspeed until we broke out of the WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MD11 EXPERIENCE FAILURE OF CAPT'S CADC IN IMC SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. FO ASSUMES CTL FOR RETURN LAND.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF AIRSPD, ALT, VERT SPD AND POSSIBLE ATTITUDE. TRANSITIONED IMMEDIATELY TO STANDBY INSTS. IMC AT THIS TIME AND BROKE OUT OF THE LOW CLOUD AND WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ATTITUDE. INITIAL CLRNC WAS 7000 FT ON DEP AND MAY HAVE POSSIBLY EXCEEDED THAT AND POSSIBLY EXCEEDED 250 KTS AIRSPD. ACFT WAS CONTINUALLY DISPLAYING NUMEROUS FAULTS AND FAILURES, MASTER WARNING AND MASTER CAUTION. WEREN'T SURE WHAT THE PROB WAS. DID THE AIRSPD LOSS, ERRATIC UNRELIABLE CHKLIST AND DETERMINED CAPT'S CADC WAS FAULTY. XFERRED CTL OF ACFT TO FO FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 26L IN ONTARIO. HAD A JUMP SEATING MD11 CAPT ON BOARD WAS ASSISTED WITH CHKLISTS AND OTHER TASKS. MAINT DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS BLOCKAGES IN THE CAPT'S AND FO'S PITOT TUBES ALONG WITH A FAILURE OF L CADC. ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED AND OPERATED NORMALLY FOR THE NEXT FLT SEGMENT. I BELIEVE WE TOOK THE CORRECT INITIAL ACTION BY TRANSITIONING IMMEDIATELY TO THE STANDBY INSTS, AND LUCKILY, WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ATTITUDE AND ALT, AND AIRSPD UNTIL WE BROKE OUT OF THE WX.

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.