A LGT ACFT MAKES A GAR AT JFK AND AS IT CLBS TO HOLDING AREA; ITS ALT VARIES BTWN 1600 FT AND 2700 FT WITH AIRSPD CHANGING FROM HOLDING AIRSPD TO 300 KIAS.

Date: 1996-12 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: landing

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude|deviation-speed-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A LGT ACFT MAKES A GAR AT JFK AND AS IT CLBS TO HOLDING AREA; ITS ALT VARIES BTWN 1600 FT AND 2700 FT WITH AIRSPD CHANGING FROM HOLDING AIRSPD TO 300 KIAS.

Narrative

CREW CAME ON DUTY AT XX00 LCL (XO00 EST) AND FINALLY DEPARTED AT XY15 LCL (AB15 EST). AFTER A FUEL STOP ENRTE WE ARRIVED IN THE TERMINAL AREA OF OUR INTENDED DEST HAVING BEEN AWAKE FOR 22 HRS; ON DUTY FOR 13 HRS AND HAD FLOWN FOR 9 HRS AND 30 MINS. APCH TO RWY 22L WAS IN USE. WINDS WERE VARIABLE WITH RPTS OF WINDSHEAR. FOR SEVERAL MINS THE WIND HAD BEEN RPTED AS APPROX 180 DEGS AT 40 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 60 KTS. A B757 HAD ABANDONED THE APCH; AN A340 HAD LANDED SUCCESSFULLY; OUR APCH WAS ENERGETIC WITH CONSTANT THRUST CHANGES AND CONTINUOUS AGGRESSIVE AILERON AND ELEVATOR INPUTS. AT 200 FT THE ACFT DIVERGED RAPIDLY ABOVE THE GS AND A MISSED APCH WAS INITIATED. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CLB ON RWY HEADING TO 2000 FT. AFTER REACHING 2000 FT I LEVELED THE ACFT AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. A SHORT TIME LATER THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED AND OBSERVING THE ACFT TO HAVE DSNDED TO 1600 FT; I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND THERE FOLLOWED A PERIOD OF ABOUT 15 SECONDS DURING WHICH I FAILED TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE; ACCURATE CTL OF THE ACFT. ACFT HEADING WAS L OF RWY HEADING AND AFTER ADDING THRUST; PITCHING UP AND BANKING TO THE R; THE ACFT CLBED BRIEFLY TO 2700 FT; ACCELERATED TO 300 KTS AND ROLLED INTO A 45 DEG R BANK. AT THIS POINT INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L AND ENTER HOLDING WERE RECEIVED AND I INADVERTENTLY ROLLED THE ACFT INTO A 60 DEG BANK TO THE L. CTL WAS RECOVERED AS QUICKLY AS IT WAS LOST; NEVERTHELESS; IT WAS A NERVE WRACKING AND FRUSTRATING; IF BRIEF; CRISIS. WE DIVERTED UNEVENTFULLY TO BALTIMORE. TO THE EXTENT THAT LACK OF GOOD JUDGEMENT IS A FACTOR IT IS CLR THAT OUR JUDGEMENT WAS IMPAIRED BY FATIGUE. THE CREW WAS ALSO FATIGUED TO A POINT THAT DID NOT BECOME ENTIRELY APPARENT UNTIL AFTER THE SUBSEQUENT REST PERIOD. APART FROM THE VERY TURBULENT CONDITIONS THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT THE WAKE OF THE B757 WAS A FACTOR AND THAT I FAILED TO PROPERLY ENGAGE THE ALT HOLD FUNCTION OF THE AUTOPLT OR THAT THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS EXCEEDED THE AUTOPLT PERFORMANCE LIMITS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.