Altitude crossing restriction overshot on descent.

Attributes
ACN	103482
Time
Date	198901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16700 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : j10
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	103482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for profile descent to den which requires crossing keane between 17000 and 23000' at 250 KTS. Landing west or south requires operationally crossing at 17000' or high rate of descent with speed brakes. While descending to 17000', ATC called traffic (WX clear as a bell) and we all were looking. Aircraft has no aural approaching warning. Only an aural departure from altitude warning. Saw altitude 200' below and corrected. Inertia took it to 300' below before climb back. The lack of an aural approaching altitude warning is going to result in multiple deaths. In a day VFR see and be seen atmosphere, one small light on the instrument panel just doesn't hack it. On medium large transport, large transport, heavy transport, and some widebody transport, there is an aural approach warning. Unless the non equipped aircraft are reconfigured, a lot of people are going to die, and totally unnecessarily. IFR flight requirements in a see and be seen VFR atmosphere are an obvious oxymoron and an invitation to an accident waiting to happen. TCA's III will help. With traffic calls being received during critical phases of IFR flying, altitude and arwys deviations are going to continue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT CROSSING RESTRICTION OVERSHOT ON DESCENT.

Narrative: CLRED FOR PROFILE DSCNT TO DEN WHICH REQUIRES XING KEANE BTWN 17000 AND 23000' AT 250 KTS. LNDG W OR S REQUIRES OPERATIONALLY XING AT 17000' OR HIGH RATE OF DSCNT WITH SPD BRAKES. WHILE DSNDING TO 17000', ATC CALLED TFC (WX CLEAR AS A BELL) AND WE ALL WERE LOOKING. ACFT HAS NO AURAL APCHING WARNING. ONLY AN AURAL DEP FROM ALT WARNING. SAW ALT 200' BELOW AND CORRECTED. INERTIA TOOK IT TO 300' BELOW BEFORE CLB BACK. THE LACK OF AN AURAL APCHING ALT WARNING IS GOING TO RESULT IN MULTIPLE DEATHS. IN A DAY VFR SEE AND BE SEEN ATMOSPHERE, ONE SMALL LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL JUST DOESN'T HACK IT. ON MLG, LGT, HVT, AND SOME WDB, THERE IS AN AURAL APCH WARNING. UNLESS THE NON EQUIPPED ACFT ARE RECONFIGURED, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE, AND TOTALLY UNNECESSARILY. IFR FLT REQUIREMENTS IN A SEE AND BE SEEN VFR ATMOSPHERE ARE AN OBVIOUS OXYMORON AND AN INVITATION TO AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. TCA'S III WILL HELP. WITH TFC CALLS BEING RECEIVED DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF IFR FLYING, ALT AND ARWYS DEVIATIONS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.