Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft; Human Factors
We were departing DFW on the Akuna 4 RNAV departure NAVYE transition. The departure was uneventful. At 600 AGL the First Officer; who was the flying pilot; requested the autopilot on. I pressed the button but failed to notice it did not engage. I was then running the checklist for a few seconds and when I looked back up I noticed the aircraft was still in the climb but was banking to the left rather than continuing straight on the RNAV departure heading. I then realized that the First Officer had released the controls; but had also failed to verify the autopilot was working. I immediately told him to turn right to return to the departure course. As he did; he pulled back a little on the controls and got the stick shaker. He responded properly and lowered the nose; the speed increased and we returned to the departure course guidance via the FMS. In the future I will verify that the autopilot is definitely engaged via the FMS display; and confirm the aircraft is flying the proper course once controls are released prior to performing other duties.
[No substantive additional information was included in the secondary narrative.]
While flying a SID from DFW both pilots aboard a CRJ-700 failed to note the autopilot did not engage when selected and a momentary course deviation and decay of airspeed to trigger a stick shaker resulted. Control was immediately re-established.