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Flight crew failed to note autoplt malfunction resulting in 700' excursion from assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 89746 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198806 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pav |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 11000 |
| ASRS Report | 89746 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 193 flight time total : 12035 flight time type : 7106 |
| ASRS Report | 89649 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
In the cockpit of the medium large transport with all air vents open it's very noisy we were cleared to FL330 by ZME and we acknowledged. We were talking with each other, the altitude alert went off aurally and we missed it. We went through our altitude. We told the controller we were at FL336 and were immediately descending to FL330. There was no conflict. The WX conditions were clear as a bell. We were discussing the merger our company is going through and the fact that it's been 2 yrs and we still do not have a seniority list. This tends to always lead to heated conversations. We were simply distracted by the conversation. This is an item which is weighing very heavy on our side of 2500 pilots. The company has chosen to take sides in the merger and continues to promote their pilots only--for the last 2 yrs we have been downgraded in status. Anyway, that's what we were talking about! Upon both of us discovering this incident we notified center and descended back to FL330 with no conflict. Supplemental information from acn 89649: ZME called and asked for our altitude. I looked up at my altitude and read 33700'. We had been assigned FL330. I told the first officer about it and he began to correct back to FL330.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO NOTE AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN 700' EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: IN THE COCKPIT OF THE MLG WITH ALL AIR VENTS OPEN IT'S VERY NOISY WE WERE CLRED TO FL330 BY ZME AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE WERE TALKING WITH EACH OTHER, THE ALT ALERT WENT OFF AURALLY AND WE MISSED IT. WE WENT THROUGH OUR ALT. WE TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE AT FL336 AND WERE IMMEDIATELY DSNDING TO FL330. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE CLR AS A BELL. WE WERE DISCUSSING THE MERGER OUR COMPANY IS GOING THROUGH AND THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN 2 YRS AND WE STILL DO NOT HAVE A SENIORITY LIST. THIS TENDS TO ALWAYS LEAD TO HEATED CONVERSATIONS. WE WERE SIMPLY DISTRACTED BY THE CONVERSATION. THIS IS AN ITEM WHICH IS WEIGHING VERY HEAVY ON OUR SIDE OF 2500 PLTS. THE COMPANY HAS CHOSEN TO TAKE SIDES IN THE MERGER AND CONTINUES TO PROMOTE THEIR PLTS ONLY--FOR THE LAST 2 YRS WE HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED IN STATUS. ANYWAY, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT! UPON BOTH OF US DISCOVERING THIS INCIDENT WE NOTIFIED CENTER AND DSNDED BACK TO FL330 WITH NO CONFLICT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 89649: ZME CALLED AND ASKED FOR OUR ALT. I LOOKED UP AT MY ALT AND READ 33700'. WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED FL330. I TOLD THE F/O ABOUT IT AND HE BEGAN TO CORRECT BACK TO FL330.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.