 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air carrier widebody transport unable to meet altitude crossing restriction on extended over water operation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 104333 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198902 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : unz |
| State Reference | GU |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 104333 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : non radar |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Our flight departed saipan for narita with an ATC clearance to climb to FL370 before reaching 250 DME from unz (agana, guam), or about 160 NM flight distance from saipan. We climbed under the control of guam ATC center until leaving the range of their radar and radio, about 200 DME of unz, when we were instructed to contact hnl radio on high frequency radio, which we had already done. At about 225 DME, I realized we couldn't make FL370. So we leveled off at FL330 and reported to hnl radio we were level at FL330 and requesting climb to FL370. We remained at FL330 waiting for a reply. At our next reporting point, we reported, including our flight level at FL330, to hnl radio and were told to contact tokyo radio, which we did, including a request for FL370. Hnl radio contacted us asking to verify our flight level as FL330. Apparently oak ATC didn't receive our report of leveling at FL330, and thought we were at FL370. We thought they were slow in responding to our request, but we were ok and cleared to remain at FL330. I think a need to change altitude, or course, such as this report, should have a priority and we should know how long that time would be, ie, 90 seconds, and if we haven't had a response we would initiate another call to the radio operator.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB UNABLE TO MEET ALT CROSSING RESTRICTION ON EXTENDED OVER WATER OPERATION.
Narrative: OUR FLT DEPARTED SAIPAN FOR NARITA WITH AN ATC CLRNC TO CLB TO FL370 BEFORE REACHING 250 DME FROM UNZ (AGANA, GUAM), OR ABOUT 160 NM FLT DISTANCE FROM SAIPAN. WE CLBED UNDER THE CTL OF GUAM ATC CENTER UNTIL LEAVING THE RANGE OF THEIR RADAR AND RADIO, ABOUT 200 DME OF UNZ, WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT HNL RADIO ON HIGH FREQ RADIO, WHICH WE HAD ALREADY DONE. AT ABOUT 225 DME, I REALIZED WE COULDN'T MAKE FL370. SO WE LEVELED OFF AT FL330 AND RPTED TO HNL RADIO WE WERE LEVEL AT FL330 AND REQUESTING CLB TO FL370. WE REMAINED AT FL330 WAITING FOR A REPLY. AT OUR NEXT RPTING POINT, WE RPTED, INCLUDING OUR FLT LEVEL AT FL330, TO HNL RADIO AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT TOKYO RADIO, WHICH WE DID, INCLUDING A REQUEST FOR FL370. HNL RADIO CONTACTED US ASKING TO VERIFY OUR FLT LEVEL AS FL330. APPARENTLY OAK ATC DIDN'T RECEIVE OUR RPT OF LEVELING AT FL330, AND THOUGHT WE WERE AT FL370. WE THOUGHT THEY WERE SLOW IN RESPONDING TO OUR REQUEST, BUT WE WERE OK AND CLRED TO REMAIN AT FL330. I THINK A NEED TO CHANGE ALT, OR COURSE, SUCH AS THIS RPT, SHOULD HAVE A PRIORITY AND WE SHOULD KNOW HOW LONG THAT TIME WOULD BE, IE, 90 SECS, AND IF WE HAVEN'T HAD A RESPONSE WE WOULD INITIATE ANOTHER CALL TO THE RADIO OPERATOR.
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.