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Flight crew vectored through the localizer, told to turn and intercept. Thought when intercept they were also cleared for approach. Descended.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 120735 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198908 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : wr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 tower : hou |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4625 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 120735 |
| 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 |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Controller was very busy and numerous aircraft were missing radio calls. We were vectored through the localizer and then instructed to intercept it. We thought that when we intercepted the localizer that we were also cleared for the approach. As soon as we intercepted the localizer the G/south began down, indicating that we needed to descend. We left our intercepting altitude of 3000' and started down. Out of 2700' ATC asked us why we were descending, and we immediately climbed back to 3000'. ATC realized that now they had put us in a situation where we couldn't land (we were 3000' AGL, about 5 mi from ewr), so they instructed us to miss the approach, and vectored us to final again about 10 mins later. We should have confirmed that we were cleared for approach but the controller was almost too busy to respond. We thought we saw the G/south start down, and we knew we had to descend because of our altitude and distance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW VECTORED THROUGH THE LOCALIZER, TOLD TO TURN AND INTERCEPT. THOUGHT WHEN INTERCEPT THEY WERE ALSO CLEARED FOR APCH. DESCENDED.
Narrative: CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND NUMEROUS ACFT WERE MISSING RADIO CALLS. WE WERE VECTORED THROUGH THE LOC AND THEN INSTRUCTED TO INTERCEPT IT. WE THOUGHT THAT WHEN WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC THAT WE WERE ALSO CLRED FOR THE APCH. AS SOON AS WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC THE G/S BEGAN DOWN, INDICATING THAT WE NEEDED TO DSND. WE LEFT OUR INTERCEPTING ALT OF 3000' AND STARTED DOWN. OUT OF 2700' ATC ASKED US WHY WE WERE DSNDING, AND WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 3000'. ATC REALIZED THAT NOW THEY HAD PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE COULDN'T LAND (WE WERE 3000' AGL, ABOUT 5 MI FROM EWR), SO THEY INSTRUCTED US TO MISS THE APCH, AND VECTORED US TO FINAL AGAIN ABOUT 10 MINS LATER. WE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH BUT THE CTLR WAS ALMOST TOO BUSY TO RESPOND. WE THOUGHT WE SAW THE G/S START DOWN, AND WE KNEW WE HAD TO DSND BECAUSE OF OUR ALT AND DISTANCE.
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.