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Air carrier flight crew reported descending early on the VOR DME 31 to ama; when the CF31 fix is confused with the FF31. The error is detected at about the same time ATC issues a low altitude alert. DME was not used to define the waypoints.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1155898 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201403 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | AMA.Airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Captain |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 280 Flight Crew Type 24000 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying First Officer |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 270 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
We were cleared for the VOR 31 approach into ama. In the FMC; there are two points called CF31 and FF31. On the approach plate; only FF31 is listed. We mistook CF31 for FF31 and descended too early. We broke out of the clouds about the same time ATC advised us of our mistake. We continued on in and landed uneventfully but embarrassed and much wiser. Spending more time briefing this approach might have helped. Renaming points CF31 and FF31 to something not as similar would help.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Air carrier flight crew reported descending early on the VOR DME 31 to AMA; when the CF31 fix is confused with the FF31. The error is detected at about the same time ATC issues a low altitude alert. DME was not used to define the waypoints.
Narrative: We were cleared for the VOR 31 Approach into AMA. In the FMC; there are two points called CF31 and FF31. On the approach plate; only FF31 is listed. We mistook CF31 for FF31 and descended too early. We broke out of the clouds about the same time ATC advised us of our mistake. We continued on in and landed uneventfully but embarrassed and much wiser. Spending more time briefing this approach might have helped. Renaming points CF31 and FF31 to something not as similar would help.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.