Date: 201212
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: TEB.Airport, NJ
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Night
Aircraft: Citation III; VI; VII (C650)
Operator: Corporate
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class B JFK
ATC / advisory: TRACON N90
Aircraft component: Altitude Hold/Capture
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Corporate
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Training / Qualification; Time Pressure; Distraction; Human-Machine Interface; Workload
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew; Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Airspace Structure; Procedure; Aircraft
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: I was assigned as PIC performing the duties of PM from the right seat of a CE-650. We departed Runway 24 TEB in the early evening. Our clearance included the RUUDY4 Departure which specifies an altitude of 1;500 feet at WENTZ and 2;000 feet at TASCA. The departure procedure was loaded into the FMS prior to departure and checked for accuracy per standard crew procedure. The Altitude Alerter was set to 1;500 feet during the required crew departure briefing prior to engine start. After takeoff; the PF called for gear up; flaps up; and auto pilot engage per normal procedures. These calls occurred during a heavy workload period for the PM. I called 500 feet for 1;500 feet; received the required PF acknowledgement; and reached across the center console and engaged; I thought; the auto pilot per the PF request. The aircraft was climbing at approximately 3;000 feet per minute. After completing a frequency change; I performed an instrument scan and saw that the aircraft was climbing through approximately 1;700 feet indicated and that it did not appear that the LNAV course had been captured; the flight director command bars had disappeared and neither the altitude capture armed message nor altitude capture message was displayed on the ADI. The PF was in the process of engaging the yoke mounted autopilot disconnect switch; reducing thrust to begin a descent; and turning the aircraft to intercept the departure course. This action had already begun when I announced 'altitude.' ATC requested an altitude report to which a called the altitude and that we were descending to 1;500 feet. The PF hand flew the aircraft to required course and altitude. Once stabilized; we jointly reattempted an autopilot and LNAV engagement which was successful. At no time during this period did we receive an RA or TA alert. After a brief discussion with ATC over the altitude restrictions of the RUUDY4 we were given a frequency change. We continued to exercise the AFS during the duration of the flight to destination with no notable exceptions. Therefore; a maintenance discrepancy was not entered into the log as we were not able to duplicate the situation on departure. In retrospect; it appears that the fact that this was our first KTEB RUUDY4 departure in this aircraft at night; combined with the ergonomic issue of the AP/AFS control panel being located on the far left side of center console; that either the AFS/AP did not function properly; or I inadvertently pressed the wrong button on the control panel due to the lack of adequate lighting and/or high work load.


Second narrative: On a flight from TEB; I was assigned as pilot flying and occupied the left seat. We were flying a newly acquired Cessna Citation VII (CE-650); with this being my third flight from the left seat. We were assigned the RUUDY 4 departure out of TEB with an initial altitude of 1;500 feet at WENTZ intersection then a climb to 2;000 feet at TASCA intersection. We loaded the RUUDY4 departure into the FMS and verified the waypoints on the legs page. For some reason; the FMS was showing direct to the first fix past the RUUDY4 until I changed the procedure to begin from the runway. I briefed the departure and advised the pilot monitoring (PM) that I would call for LNAV after rotation and for him to confirm that the FMS sequenced. The takeoff was normal and after reaching 400 feet; I requested LNAV. Shortly thereafter I requested 'autopilot engage' and I heard PM call 500 feet for 1;500 feet. He then got busy on the radio; and as I noticed the autopilot did not engage; I also noticed that I had lost my Command Bars and that the FMS did not pick up on the LNAV track of the RUUDY4. I noticed that the plane climbed right through the 1;500 feet selected for the autopilot; so I immediately powered back to 65% N1 and nosed the aircraft over. I also requested the pilot monitoring head Heading Select and to make sure we were tracking correct radial (since I was now hand flying). The aircraft had reached approximately 1;700 feet by the time I did a complete scan with no Command Bars for guidance. ATC requested an altitude report; and by that time I had already nosed the plane over and was correcting back to 1;500 feet. Once back at 1;500 feet and tracking the correct radial; I once again asked to try to re-engage the autopilot; which did successfully engage this attempt. The pilot monitoring had a brief discussion with the ATC controller and he handed us off to the next frequency. I would attribute the issue to this being our first departure out of TEB and both pilots being fairly new to the Citation VII. Contributing factors would be that it was a night time departure.


Synopsis: A CE-650 departed on the TEB RUUDY4 Departure; but the autopilot did not engage. At 1;700 FT the flying pilot descended the aircraft to 1;500 FT. Pilot experience and workload were issues.