Air carrier on ILS approach descended below published altitude.

Attributes
ACN	113846
Time
Date	198906
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : alb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	113846
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X vectored to intercept final approach course to maintain 2000' until established on final, then cleared for ILS runway 19 approach. The pilot joined final 10 mi north of alb and descended to 1300' at the 10 mi point. Controller observed deviation and advised air carrier X to climb and issued a low altitude alert. Air carrier X had descended rapidly. Controller issued the alert and climb when air carrier X was at 1300' descending. Pilot stated he received an erroneous G/south indication. As can be seen on the approach plate, the recommended altitude at hawky is 1501'. Pilot should have known something was wrong when he was at 1300' descending and not yet by the marker. Additionally, DME would have indicated he was too far out. The G/south intercept altitude is 1600', which is almost at the marker, and he did not catch that either. I believe the cause of this incident is that the crew did not cross-check any of the information that was available to them--they just intercepted the G/south and flew it down--fortunately not to the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON ILS APCH DESCENDED BELOW PUBLISHED ALT.

Narrative: ACR X VECTORED TO INTERCEPT FINAL APCH COURSE TO MAINTAIN 2000' UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, THEN CLRED FOR ILS RWY 19 APCH. THE PLT JOINED FINAL 10 MI N OF ALB AND DSNDED TO 1300' AT THE 10 MI POINT. CTLR OBSERVED DEVIATION AND ADVISED ACR X TO CLB AND ISSUED A LOW ALT ALERT. ACR X HAD DSNDED RAPIDLY. CTLR ISSUED THE ALERT AND CLB WHEN ACR X WAS AT 1300' DSNDING. PLT STATED HE RECEIVED AN ERRONEOUS G/S INDICATION. AS CAN BE SEEN ON THE APCH PLATE, THE RECOMMENDED ALT AT HAWKY IS 1501'. PLT SHOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN HE WAS AT 1300' DSNDING AND NOT YET BY THE MARKER. ADDITIONALLY, DME WOULD HAVE INDICATED HE WAS TOO FAR OUT. THE G/S INTERCEPT ALT IS 1600', WHICH IS ALMOST AT THE MARKER, AND HE DID NOT CATCH THAT EITHER. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THE CREW DID NOT CROSS-CHK ANY OF THE INFO THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THEM--THEY JUST INTERCEPTED THE G/S AND FLEW IT DOWN--FORTUNATELY NOT TO THE GND.

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.