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Air carrier widebody transport has altitude deviation and does not make crossing restriction. PIC gets involved with the programming of the FMC and busts the restriction by 700'.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 124641 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : clt |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : clt |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 124641 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
We were being vectored to final on 18R in charlotte, given a crossing restriction of 7000' MSL 10 DME out of charlotte. Current altitude was 12,000'. The captain was flying the aircraft at the time. I figured in my mind that the restriction was almost unachievable, however, the captain spent valuable time programming the fmcs/autoplt to do the descent. We missed the restriction by 700'. Approach control said something, but there was no conflict. Had I been in command I would shut off the fmcs in high density areas. The new technology is good. However, many people I work with tend to quit using their brain and get too engrossed in the computers. Though they are designed to reduce crew workload, I feel in many instances, they do just the opposite. In high traffic areas with constant altitude and airspeed adjustments, the vmcs's should not be used.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB HAS ALT DEVIATION AND DOES NOT MAKE CROSSING RESTRICTION. PIC GETS INVOLVED WITH THE PROGRAMMING OF THE FMC AND BUSTS THE RESTRICTION BY 700'.
Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO FINAL ON 18R IN CHARLOTTE, GIVEN A XING RESTRICTION OF 7000' MSL 10 DME OUT OF CHARLOTTE. CURRENT ALT WAS 12,000'. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT AT THE TIME. I FIGURED IN MY MIND THAT THE RESTRICTION WAS ALMOST UNACHIEVABLE, HOWEVER, THE CAPT SPENT VALUABLE TIME PROGRAMMING THE FMCS/AUTOPLT TO DO THE DSCNT. WE MISSED THE RESTRICTION BY 700'. APCH CTL SAID SOMETHING, BUT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. HAD I BEEN IN COMMAND I WOULD SHUT OFF THE FMCS IN HIGH DENSITY AREAS. THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IS GOOD. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE I WORK WITH TEND TO QUIT USING THEIR BRAIN AND GET TOO ENGROSSED IN THE COMPUTERS. THOUGH THEY ARE DESIGNED TO REDUCE CREW WORKLOAD, I FEEL IN MANY INSTANCES, THEY DO JUST THE OPPOSITE. IN HIGH TFC AREAS WITH CONSTANT ALT AND AIRSPEED ADJUSTMENTS, THE VMCS'S SHOULD NOT BE USED.
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.