Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Tech Log
Reload this Page >

757 uncommanded descent

Wikiposts
Search
Tech Log The very best in practical technical discussion on the web

757 uncommanded descent

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 22nd Jul 2007, 19:15
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: south england
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
757 uncommanded descent

In the climb for FL340. VNAV engaged. asked to pass FL310 10 miles before....... selected full climb, speed intervene.

Made the level, no problem.

closed the speed window, selected climb 1.

Next thing I know aircraft was in 1500fpm descent. Took out automatics, eventually fd's caught up. re-engaged c cmd, flight continued normally.

Anyone seen this before?

If so, know why?
gatbusdriver is offline  
Old 22nd Jul 2007, 20:55
  #2 (permalink)  
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 18,579
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The obvious question - no-one had put '310 - 10 before' in the legs page?
BOAC is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 00:29
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: West
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What were the the constraints for the next fix when you selected VNAV?
None is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 09:49
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 411
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Sounds like there was a lower height constraint left somewhere.
Fly3 is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 11:39
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: OZ
Posts: 1,129
Received 12 Likes on 6 Posts
What altitude was set on the MCP?
"Closed the speed window and selected CLB1" - at what speed was this done? Perhaps the a/c was below zero RoC speed and needed to descend to accelerate to a safe speed.
mustafagander is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 18:49
  #6 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: south england
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
FL340 in the MCP

FL380 was in the CLB page

M0.76 when CLB 1 selected

Next hard constraint was FL150 at Bexil

(didn't use wpt-10 FL310)
gatbusdriver is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 19:26
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK
Age: 47
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds to me like mustafagander has probably got it right. If you opened the speed window, presumably that was to bring the speed back a bit and help out with a bit of a 'zoom climb' - bringing the speed back to M0.76. When you closed the speed window the commanded speed presumably increased to something like M0.79 but at the same time you reduced thrust by going from full climb to climb 1.
mbcxharm is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 19:45
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: uk
Posts: 1,965
Received 68 Likes on 26 Posts
FL Change - Heading Select - its the only true way !
beamer is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 20:23
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Half agree with beamer. Ive seen too many "strange" things happen in VNAV (all finger trouble). Always FL change to TOC. Not been caught out with LNAV yet.
qwertyuiop is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2007, 21:18
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: East and West Mids UK
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The FMC may in some circumstamces descend you if it feels that it needs to sacrifice height for speed...Although at M.76 the deficit to M.79 is pretty small and doesn't sound like it should be any where near the need for such speed protection - even if you reduce thrust from CLB to CLB1.
underread east is offline  
Old 24th Jul 2007, 02:03
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: U.K.
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
F340 in clmb1 sounds a bit of an ask. Were you empty?
dash6 is online now  
Old 24th Jul 2007, 13:53
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Embeded in the software but not explained in the fcom regarding vnav mode.
At a frequency of 12.3 x 3(as a derivative of tas) the vnav function of the afcs shall command a random act of utter bollox.
The following actions are required ; Pf- put down crossword and utter "wtf is it doing that for? "
Pnf- call "hmm,, on the scarebus we used to etc etc,,"
Pf- "Flch!"
pnf-"Check"
Pf-(Capt) "Three letters, the cat sat on this, middle letter A ??"
HOMER SIMPSONS LOVECHILD is offline  
Old 24th Jul 2007, 14:43
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: British
Posts: 318
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
H S LOVECHILD- You must have flown the TriStar too Although it would have been the Eng who would have put down his porn, the FO wasn't allowed to touch anything!
Tight Seat is offline  
Old 24th Jul 2007, 15:58
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Under the clouds now
Age: 86
Posts: 2,503
Received 13 Likes on 10 Posts
When I converted on to the 757 in 1983 LNAV had not been installed/certified, but we still suffered from numerous uncommanded descents, particularly on LGW-Palma-LGW sectors. Outbound the FMC would decide it was time to start the descent just north of the Pyrenese, inbound it tended to happen around Nantes. Boeing reckoned it was caused by a bug in the FMC program that was triggered by certain DME/VOR combinations. It got so bad at one stage that I used to disengage the autothrottle (which overcontrolled anyway) when in the suspect areas, then selected FL hold when the premature descent was commanded.

Last edited by brakedwell; 24th Jul 2007 at 18:42.
brakedwell is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.