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Flight crew of medium large transport descending on STAR into dca misread chart, descended to an unauthorized altitude. Controller issued new clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 109234 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198904 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 109234 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 109337 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
ZDC cleared us to cross brooke VOR at 11000', 250 KTS, prior to switching us to dca approach. Dca approach replied to our check-in with, 'roger, coatt 1 arrival.' I dialed 10000' into our altitude alert, thinking that the coatt 1 arrival is to cross brooke at 10000' and barin at 5000'. (We fly the coatt 1 arrival regularly and I did not look at the plate.) as we crossed brooke at 10000', approach control cleared us to 5000'. At that point I looked at the arrival plate (why would approach control clear us to 5000' if we had already been cleared for the coatt 1 arrival?). The coatt 1 reads, 'expect' clearance to cross brooke at 10000'. My complacency did not cause a conflict, but it easily could have. Dca approach control could have been more clear in their clearance. Rather than saying simply, 'coatt 1 arrival,' they could say also the altitude to cross brooke VOR as reinforcement of ZDC's clearance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF MLG DESCENDING ON STAR INTO DCA MISREAD CHART, DESCENDED TO AN UNAUTH ALT. CTLR ISSUED NEW CLRNC.
Narrative: ZDC CLRED US TO CROSS BROOKE VOR AT 11000', 250 KTS, PRIOR TO SWITCHING US TO DCA APCH. DCA APCH REPLIED TO OUR CHK-IN WITH, 'ROGER, COATT 1 ARR.' I DIALED 10000' INTO OUR ALT ALERT, THINKING THAT THE COATT 1 ARR IS TO CROSS BROOKE AT 10000' AND BARIN AT 5000'. (WE FLY THE COATT 1 ARR REGULARLY AND I DID NOT LOOK AT THE PLATE.) AS WE CROSSED BROOKE AT 10000', APCH CTL CLRED US TO 5000'. AT THAT POINT I LOOKED AT THE ARR PLATE (WHY WOULD APCH CTL CLR US TO 5000' IF WE HAD ALREADY BEEN CLRED FOR THE COATT 1 ARR?). THE COATT 1 READS, 'EXPECT' CLRNC TO CROSS BROOKE AT 10000'. MY COMPLACENCY DID NOT CAUSE A CONFLICT, BUT IT EASILY COULD HAVE. DCA APCH CTL COULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR IN THEIR CLRNC. RATHER THAN SAYING SIMPLY, 'COATT 1 ARR,' THEY COULD SAY ALSO THE ALT TO CROSS BROOKE VOR AS REINFORCEMENT OF ZDC'S CLRNC.
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.