LEARJET 35 FLC WERE OBSERVED BY ARTCC RADAR CTLR BELOW ASSIGNED CRUISING ALT TO WHICH THE FLC RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE HAVING AUTOPLT PROBS AFTER RETURNING TO ASSIGNED.
Synopsis
LEARJET 35 FLC WERE OBSERVED BY ARTCC RADAR CTLR BELOW ASSIGNED CRUISING ALT TO WHICH THE FLC RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE HAVING AUTOPLT PROBS AFTER RETURNING TO ASSIGNED.
Narrative
ACFT RPTED ON FREQ LEVEL AT FL370; AND MODE C WAS INDICATING FL370 AT THAT TIME. (NOTE: FOR ACFT IN LEVEL FLT AT THEIR ASSIGNED CRUISE ALT; CTR RADAR WILL NOT DISPLAY A DEV OF LESS THAN 250 FT ABOVE OR BELOW THAT ALT.) A FEW MINS AFTER THE PLT CHKED IN; I NOTICED THE MODE C RPTING FL367 INSTEAD OF FL370. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON -- OUR RADAR OFTEN DISPLAYS AN INCORRECT ALT FOR 5-12 SECONDS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS WHICH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACFT'S ACTUAL ALT. IN THIS CASE; THERE WERE NO ACFT IN IMMEDIATE CONFLICTION; SO I ELECTED TO NOT CHK WITH THE PLT RIGHT AWAY SINCE ERRONEOUS (BUT BRIEF) MODE C READOUTS ARE COMMON. AFTER A COUPLE MORE RADAR SWEEPS; I OBSERVED THE READOUT AT FL366; AND I ADVISED THE PLT THAT 'MODE C INDICATES 400 FT LOW; MAINTAIN FL370.' THE PLT ADVISED THAT THEY APPEARED TO HAVE HAD A PROB WITH THE AUTOPLT; AND THEY WERE CLBING BACK TO FL370. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. THE NEAREST ACFT WAS STILL ALMOST 2 MINS AWAY AT FL350 WHEN THE MODE C AGAIN INDICATED FL370.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.