It doesn't look like a failure to me. It doesn't happen immediately when the engine fails or when power gets transferred, but everytime more or less at the same point, my guess is at 800' RA, when THR HOLD normally changes in ARM. Maybe it's an optional feature my company elected to put in the plane that most others didn't, like we have the speed and altitude intervention buttons on the MCP. It's either that or I'm going crazy.
Thinking about it, it does make sense that the A/T disconnects itself. If the autothrottle was still in it would reduce to the climb N1 at 1500' AGL which is not helping off course. When the flaps are up normally max continuous thrust is selected in the FMC and then set manually, so you would disconnect the A/T there otherwise, but I'm sure it already disconnected itself before you reach that point.
Or is my company's SOP the only one not performing QRH steps untill after flaps up after an engine failure.
Unless somebody gives the answer here, I will post my findings after my sim next week.
Ziggy.
Just missed that reply from Techman.
My manual says the same thing, and on the newer ones the flap 10 or less restriction is even removed. But, I have a hard time believing this is the cause because I don't think I fly with 10 degrees roll input, maybe only the first second before rudder is applied.
The A/T disconnects well into the flight, as I said at about 800 AGL, when I'm fully trimmed and definitely don't have 10 degrees of roll input on the controls.
Ziggy