AN A300 ON A CLB PROFILE DID NOT LEVEL AT THE FMC AND ALT ALERT SET ALT.

Date: 2005-06 · Aircraft: A300 · Phase: descent

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-altitude-crossing-restriction-not-met|deviation-altitude-overshoot|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

AN A300 ON A CLB PROFILE DID NOT LEVEL AT THE FMC AND ALT ALERT SET ALT.

Narrative

TALKING TO CTR; WE WERE ISSUED A CLB TO FL210. AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED ON #1; PROFILE WAS SELECTED; AND FL210 WAS IN THE ALT SELECT. FO CALLED ACFT WAS GETTING READY TO BUST FL210 APPROX 100 FT PRIOR. CAPT DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT TO MANUALLY LEVEL AT FL210. ACFT CLBED TO 21350 FT BEFORE CLB WAS STOPPED. FO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED CTR OF DEVIATION. CTR SAID THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT AND ISSUED A CLB TO FL230. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN 2 MONTHS THAT VARIOUS A300/A310 ACFT HAVE DONE THIS TO ME; ONCE IN A CLB AND TWICE IN A DSCNT. IM SURE THIS IS HAPPENING WITH SEVERAL OTHER AIR CREWS. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE A300/A310 ACFT WHEN CLBING OR DSNDING IN THE PROFILE MODE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS EVENT IS HIS THIRD IN TWO MONTHS. THE ALT CONSTRAINT IN ALL CASES WAS SET IN BOTH THE MODE CTL PANEL ALT SET WINDOW AND IN THE FMC. THE FREQUENCY OF THIS TYPE EVENT HAS INCREASED IN THE A300 FLEET TO THE POINT THAT HIS ACR IS NOW TEACHING A RECOVERY TECHNIQUE FOR WHEN AN ALT OVERSHOOT IS IMMINENT/OCCURS. THE GUIDANCE IS A 10% RULE SO THAT 300 FT FROM THE CONSTRAINED ALT THE ROC/ROD SHOULD BE LESS THAN 3000 FPM; AND AT 100 FT THE ROC/ROD LESS THAN 1000 FPM. IF NOT; DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT AND LEVEL MANUALLY. THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN THE CAPTURE FAILURE OCCURRED ON HIS FLT; THE FMA INDICATED AN AIRSPD CAPTURE BUT DID NOT INDICATE AN ALT CAPTURE. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS APPARENTLY A TREND IN THE A300 FLEET.

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