Flight crew new to widebody transport advanced cockpit started descent too early on approach.

Attributes
ACN	118506
Time
Date	198908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : yyz
State Reference	ON
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : yyz
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	118506
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were flying a highly automated aircraft, widebody transport, from ord to yyz. While cleared for the profile descent into yyz the captain started out of 12,000' for 7000' too early, then once cleared to intercept the localizer for 06L he again started out of 7000 when he was not yet cleared. The controller then called and said check altitude. There is a major factor here. Once, the captain was new to the aircraft. He had just come off the large transport which has very basic cockpit layout. He had very little situation awareness on the descent into yyz. We have 3 ways to display distance. 2 DME readouts on the rmdi's and a mileage to next waypoint on the EFIS display. This may have caused some confusion. The captain had also very little experience in advanced cockpits. The second factor is the low total hours between both pilots. I, as first officer, had just 40 hours total time and the captain had just completed training a month. I asked the captain before we left ord are we legal for the trip under our airlines regulations. He called dispatch, they said we were just barely legal for the trip. There should be an increased total hours for both crew members flying advanced aircraft. Our airlines has requirements for flying hours but that is for all aircraft types not just advanced planes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW NEW TO WDB ADVANCED COCKPIT STARTED DESCENT TOO EARLY ON APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A HIGHLY AUTOMATED ACFT, WDB, FROM ORD TO YYZ. WHILE CLRED FOR THE PROFILE DSCNT INTO YYZ THE CAPT STARTED OUT OF 12,000' FOR 7000' TOO EARLY, THEN ONCE CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR 06L HE AGAIN STARTED OUT OF 7000 WHEN HE WAS NOT YET CLRED. THE CTLR THEN CALLED AND SAID CHECK ALT. THERE IS A MAJOR FACTOR HERE. ONCE, THE CAPT WAS NEW TO THE ACFT. HE HAD JUST COME OFF THE LGT WHICH HAS VERY BASIC COCKPIT LAYOUT. HE HAD VERY LITTLE SITUATION AWARENESS ON THE DSCNT INTO YYZ. WE HAVE 3 WAYS TO DISPLAY DISTANCE. 2 DME READOUTS ON THE RMDI'S AND A MILEAGE TO NEXT WAYPOINT ON THE EFIS DISPLAY. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME CONFUSION. THE CAPT HAD ALSO VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN ADVANCED COCKPITS. THE SECOND FACTOR IS THE LOW TOTAL HOURS BETWEEN BOTH PLTS. I, AS F/O, HAD JUST 40 HRS TOTAL TIME AND THE CAPT HAD JUST COMPLETED TRAINING A MONTH. I ASKED THE CAPT BEFORE WE LEFT ORD ARE WE LEGAL FOR THE TRIP UNDER OUR AIRLINES REGS. HE CALLED DISPATCH, THEY SAID WE WERE JUST BARELY LEGAL FOR THE TRIP. THERE SHOULD BE AN INCREASED TOTAL HRS FOR BOTH CREW MEMBERS FLYING ADVANCED ACFT. OUR AIRLINES HAS REQUIREMENTS FOR FLYING HOURS BUT THAT IS FOR ALL ACFT TYPES NOT JUST ADVANCED PLANES.

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.