Narrative:

En route phx bur we were continuously descended from FL280 to 16000' very early. The first officer was flying the aircraft and I was trying in vain to receive the bur ATIS. When inbound over pmd the mountains block the ATIS until very close to the airport. In addition, this is the same frequency as used by an ATC facility further north and aircraft are continually blocking the bur ATIS. While I was still trying to read ATIS the first officer was turned over to bur approach control who then read him the current conditions. He told me that he had the current WX and that we were on vectors for an ILS 08, at this time I rejoined him on the #1 radio and we set up the cockpit for the ILS approach. When turned over to final approach control 3 or 4 other aircraft were pointed out to us and our speed was slowed down for flow into bur. When we were turned onto the localizer (approximately 13 mi out) we were informed that we were cleared for the localizer 08 approach and to keep our speed up as much as possible. As the first officer was flying the aircraft I immediately started to reconfigure the INS for the localizer only approach. This entailed tuning and identing vny VOR, radial for stepdown, MDA on the EFIS radio altimeters, etc. When I had finished this and resumed my INS scan I saw that we were now below the IAF altitude and approaching the MDA. At no time did we go below the MDA prior to visibility contact with runway 08, and at no time did we have a traffic alert or conflict, the landing at bur was normal. This problem with bur ATIS reception when inbound over pmd has gone on for a very long time now, can the ATIS antenna be relocated to a higher elevation to ensure better reception? And, can the frequency also be changed to prevent aircraft talking to another ATC facility from blocking reception. Supplemental information from acn 154055: PNF began tuning vny VOR for crossing radial 164 dgs to identify buddex for descent. PNF apparently misidented or misread vny radial and stated we were past buddex and descent was initiated. Actually we were approaching the vny cone of confusion over the VOR and therefore the needle was erratic and our descent was started prior to buddex. When vny became reliable, we immediately stopped our descent and started to climb. At that time we passed buddex and continued the approach west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT DURING LOC APCH TO BUR. FLT CREW STARTED DESCENT PRIOR TO CROSSING IAF.

Narrative: ENRTE PHX BUR WE WERE CONTINUOUSLY DSNDED FROM FL280 TO 16000' VERY EARLY. THE F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND I WAS TRYING IN VAIN TO RECEIVE THE BUR ATIS. WHEN INBND OVER PMD THE MOUNTAINS BLOCK THE ATIS UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. IN ADDITION, THIS IS THE SAME FREQ AS USED BY AN ATC FAC FURTHER N AND ACFT ARE CONTINUALLY BLOCKING THE BUR ATIS. WHILE I WAS STILL TRYING TO READ ATIS THE F/O WAS TURNED OVER TO BUR APCH CTL WHO THEN READ HIM THE CURRENT CONDITIONS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD THE CURRENT WX AND THAT WE WERE ON VECTORS FOR AN ILS 08, AT THIS TIME I REJOINED HIM ON THE #1 RADIO AND WE SET UP THE COCKPIT FOR THE ILS APCH. WHEN TURNED OVER TO FINAL APCH CTL 3 OR 4 OTHER ACFT WERE POINTED OUT TO US AND OUR SPD WAS SLOWED DOWN FOR FLOW INTO BUR. WHEN WE WERE TURNED ONTO THE LOC (APPROX 13 MI OUT) WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE LOC 08 APCH AND TO KEEP OUR SPD UP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AS THE F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO RECONFIGURE THE INS FOR THE LOC ONLY APCH. THIS ENTAILED TUNING AND IDENTING VNY VOR, RADIAL FOR STEPDOWN, MDA ON THE EFIS RADIO ALTIMETERS, ETC. WHEN I HAD FINISHED THIS AND RESUMED MY INS SCAN I SAW THAT WE WERE NOW BELOW THE IAF ALT AND APCHING THE MDA. AT NO TIME DID WE GO BELOW THE MDA PRIOR TO VIS CONTACT WITH RWY 08, AND AT NO TIME DID WE HAVE A TFC ALERT OR CONFLICT, THE LNDG AT BUR WAS NORMAL. THIS PROB WITH BUR ATIS RECEPTION WHEN INBND OVER PMD HAS GONE ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW, CAN THE ATIS ANTENNA BE RELOCATED TO A HIGHER ELEVATION TO ENSURE BETTER RECEPTION? AND, CAN THE FREQ ALSO BE CHANGED TO PREVENT ACFT TALKING TO ANOTHER ATC FAC FROM BLOCKING RECEPTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 154055: PNF BEGAN TUNING VNY VOR FOR XING RADIAL 164 DGS TO IDENT BUDDEX FOR DSNT. PNF APPARENTLY MISIDENTED OR MISREAD VNY RADIAL AND STATED WE WERE PAST BUDDEX AND DSNT WAS INITIATED. ACTUALLY WE WERE APCHING THE VNY CONE OF CONFUSION OVER THE VOR AND THEREFORE THE NEEDLE WAS ERRATIC AND OUR DSNT WAS STARTED PRIOR TO BUDDEX. WHEN VNY BECAME RELIABLE, WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED OUR DSNT AND STARTED TO CLB. AT THAT TIME WE PASSED BUDDEX AND CONTINUED THE APCH W/O INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.