What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The captain of flight LOF4688 departed Gunnison (guc) airport enroute to denver (den) on a scheduled flight on 7/21/2019. The captain was the pilot flying (pf) and the first officer was the pilot monitoring (pm) on this leg.
The captain (pf) stated that he was attempting to climb at vfs climb speed (final segment speed, ofpm manual) during the departure out of guc. This was to maximize climb rate in order to reach the required mea altitude to proceed on course prior to reaching hbu VOR. The obstacle departure procedure required holding at hbu VOR until reaching mea altitude in order to proceed on course. During the climb ATC gave them a new the arrival route into denver (den) and cleared them direct to a fix on that new route. The captain commanded the first officer (pm) to, fix the routing and figure the fuel calculation for max landing weight. When the first officer went heads down initiate the route change and fuel calculations, the autopilot was engaged and the captain stated that he began reaching up to adjust his sunshade since the sun was getting in his eyes. The captain stated that as he was adjusting the sunshade they hit some turbulence and the aircraft stall stick shaker activated and the autopilot disconnected. He stated that he lowered the aircraft pitch to recover and then continued the climb.
The investigation revealed that the captain failed to recognize the high aircraft pitch attitude when the autopilot was engaged. This caused the decay of the airspeed to unsafe speed margins and resulted in the stall prevention system activation and subsequent autopilot disengagement.
As the FAA filed it
THE CAPTAIN OF FLIGHT LOF4688 DEPARTED GUNNISON (GUC) AIRPORT ENROUTE TO DENVER (DEN) ON A SCHEDULED FLIGHT ON 7/21/2019. THE CAPTAIN WAS THE PILOT FLYING (PF) AND THE FIRST OFFICER WAS THE PILOT MONITORING (PM) ON THIS LEG.
THE CAPTAIN (PF) STATED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB AT VFS CLIMB SPEED (FINAL SEGMENT SPEED, OFPM MANUAL) DURING THE DEPARTURE OUT OF GUC. THIS WAS TO MAXIMIZE CLIMB RATE IN ORDER TO REACH THE REQUIRED MEA ALTITUDE TO PROCEED ON COURSE PRIOR TO REACHING HBU VOR. THE OBSTACLE DEPARTURE PROCEDURE REQUIRED HOLDING AT HBU VOR UNTIL REACHING MEA ALTITUDE IN ORDER TO PROCEED ON COURSE. DURING THE CLIMB ATC GAVE THEM A NEW THE ARRIVAL ROUTE INTO DENVER (DEN) AND CLEARED THEM DIRECT TO A FIX ON THAT NEW ROUTE. THE CAPTAIN COMMANDED THE FIRST OFFICER (PM) TO, FIX THE ROUTING AND FIGURE THE FUEL CALCULATION FOR MAX LANDING WEIGHT. WHEN THE FIRST OFFICER WENT HEADS DOWN INITIATE THE ROUTE CHANGE AND FUEL CALCULATIONS, THE AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED AND THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE BEGAN REACHING UP TO ADJUST HIS SUNSHADE SINCE THE SUN WAS GETTING IN HIS EYES. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT AS HE WAS ADJUSTING THE SUNSHADE THEY HIT SOME TURBULENCE AND THE AIRCRAFT STALL STICK SHAKER ACTIVATED AND THE AUTOPILOT DISCONNECTED. HE STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE AIRCRAFT PITCH TO RECOVER AND THEN CONTINUED THE CLIMB.
THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CAPTAIN FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE HIGH AIRCRAFT PITCH ATTITUDE WHEN THE AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED. THIS CAUSED THE DECAY OF THE AIRSPEED TO UNSAFE SPEED MARGINS AND RESULTED IN THE STALL PREVENTION SYSTEM ACTIVATION AND SUBSEQUENT AUTOPILOT DISENGAGEMENT.
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