EMB-170 flight crew reported MCDU displayed incorrect SID and STAR altitude restrictions that misled the flight director and confused the flight crew.
Synopsis
EMB-170 flight crew reported MCDU displayed incorrect SID and STAR altitude restrictions that misled the flight director and confused the flight crew.
Narrative
After calling for VNAV passing through 1;000 feet; I noticed it getting quieter in the flight deck. I instantly thought we lost an engine and looked at the EICAS to confirm. Both engines were still running and above 70% or so; but the thrust levers were rolling back. The auto throttles were engaged. I blocked the levers from reducing further. We then noticed the flight director commanding a descent while we were at approximately 1;500 feet MSL; despite needing to meet a climb restriction at or above 3;000 feet at ZZZZ. I overrode and then eventually disengaged the auto throttles and pushed them back to climb power for FLCH. We engaged the autopilot and began to troubleshoot what had just happened. The Captain mentioned it had gotten warm in the flight deck in addition to the quiet; meaning the packs had turned off too. I then noticed the VNAV altitude at the top right of the PFD said 10 and was a hard altitude; indicating 10 feet MSL. We started going through the flight plan on the Multipurpose Control Display Unit (MCDU) to find where this 10 came from. In doing so; we found that the altitudes on our arrival (ZZZZ1) were in reverse video. We knew that meant the airplane was thinking we were already below those altitudes on our VNAV path for the flight. We then checked PERF INIT to make sure our cruise altitude and information was set correctly for FL300; and it was. The only place 10 was listed in the MCDU was at destination; and it wasn't an altitude we could modify; unless we set it significantly higher; like 3;000 feet. We deleted our altitude restrictions on the arrival; and then put them back in manually. It seemed to have been fixed after that; whether it was something we did or not. We spent the rest of the flight trying to figure out what happened and what could have caused it. We never came up with anything that seemed to make sense. The rest of the flight was uneventful.
Second reporter narrative
After the VNAV callout at acceleration altitude I noticed the temperature was warm in the flight deck. I looked at the EICAS and we had PACK 1/2 OFF messages. We also noticed it was quieter and the thrust levers we coming back. Both engines we producing normal thrust. ATs were engaged and we noticed the FD wanted the aircraft to pitch down and start a descent despite needing to meet a climb restriction at ZZZZ at or above 3;000 feet and we were at 1;500 feet or so in FLCH. Our speed was about 140/150 knots. The First Officer (FO) overrode the thrust levers and eventually disengaged the ATs. We turned the autopilot on after the airplane was stabilized in a climb and at a safe speed and attempted to troubleshoot the problem. Our arrival into ZZZ was the ZZZZ1 and we noticed the flight plan had 10;000 feet at ZZZZ1 in inverse video and also an altitude of 10 feet at ZZZ in inverse video. We noticed in the top right of the PFD it showed a hard altitude of 10 feet. We THINK BILIT at 11;000 feet was also inverse video but we aren't 100%. We checked all of the PERF INIT data to make sure we had the correct information entered and did not see anything out of the ordinary. We went through and verified all altitudes in the departure and arrival and manually entered ZZZZ1 at 10;000 feet which took care of the inverse video altitudes. The rest of the flight was uneventful and we referenced the systems manual and could not find anything that would have caused this.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.