Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation heading deviation from STAR into dfw.

Attributes
ACN	91422
Time
Date	198807
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aqn airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10700 msl bound upper : 11300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	91422
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching dfw from the southwest, we were assigned 11000' and were told to delete the speeds on the STAR. PF was preoccupied with the FMS and got behind the airplane. It came time to slow in anticipation of the descent. For some unknown reason the PF selected a pitch mode on the flight guidance system that when selected, the autoplt will seek through pitch control to maintain the speed at the time the button was pushed. Consequently, the aircraft started to descend and the PF disconnected the autoplt but not before descending 300'. The PF overcorrected and exceeded the assigned altitude then by 300'. Approach then gave us a lower altitude but the PF missed the turn on the STAR. The problem was the preoccupation with pushing buttons on the FMS and not flying the aircraft. On all occasions the PNF called out the errors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION HEADING DEVIATION FROM STAR INTO DFW.

Narrative: APCHING DFW FROM THE SW, WE WERE ASSIGNED 11000' AND WERE TOLD TO DELETE THE SPDS ON THE STAR. PF WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE FMS AND GOT BEHIND THE AIRPLANE. IT CAME TIME TO SLOW IN ANTICIPATION OF THE DSCNT. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THE PF SELECTED A PITCH MODE ON THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS THAT WHEN SELECTED, THE AUTOPLT WILL SEEK THROUGH PITCH CTL TO MAINTAIN THE SPD AT THE TIME THE BUTTON WAS PUSHED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STARTED TO DSND AND THE PF DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT BUT NOT BEFORE DSNDING 300'. THE PF OVERCORRECTED AND EXCEEDED THE ASSIGNED ALT THEN BY 300'. APCH THEN GAVE US A LOWER ALT BUT THE PF MISSED THE TURN ON THE STAR. THE PROB WAS THE PREOCCUPATION WITH PUSHING BUTTONS ON THE FMS AND NOT FLYING THE ACFT. ON ALL OCCASIONS THE PNF CALLED OUT THE ERRORS.

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.