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Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport descends too early while flying the localizer back course runway 23 at clt, because they confused the final approach fix, FAF, with another intersection.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 154085 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199008 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : clt |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 2700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : clt |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8700 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 154085 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure |
| 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:
Approach control set us up at 2700' for back course intercept outside of atell intersection when normal atell intersection intercept is 4000' with FAF at 2700' we started our descent to MDA after crossing atell because we had lost #1 VOR and had no DME readout and did not have time to put the FAF in the LNAV route. It was late at night after dodging thunderstorms for the past 7 hours including the arrival into clt. I think we confused atell for the FAF briefly. As PNF I was outside looking for airport and I felt like we were low and started rechking the approach and asked first officer to stop descent. About that time approach asked us to rechk our altitude. We were about 1800' MSL and I agreed with approach. We climbed back to 2700' until the crew had visibility on field and landed west/O further problems.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF ACR MLG DESCENDS TOO EARLY WHILE FLYING THE LOCALIZER BACK COURSE RWY 23 AT CLT, BECAUSE THEY CONFUSED THE FINAL APCH FIX, FAF, WITH ANOTHER INTERSECTION.
Narrative: APCH CTL SET US UP AT 2700' FOR BC INTERCEPT OUTSIDE OF ATELL INTXN WHEN NORMAL ATELL INTXN INTERCEPT IS 4000' WITH FAF AT 2700' WE STARTED OUR DSNT TO MDA AFTER XING ATELL BECAUSE WE HAD LOST #1 VOR AND HAD NO DME READOUT AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO PUT THE FAF IN THE LNAV RTE. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AFTER DODGING TSTMS FOR THE PAST 7 HRS INCLUDING THE ARR INTO CLT. I THINK WE CONFUSED ATELL FOR THE FAF BRIEFLY. AS PNF I WAS OUTSIDE LOOKING FOR ARPT AND I FELT LIKE WE WERE LOW AND STARTED RECHKING THE APCH AND ASKED F/O TO STOP DSNT. ABOUT THAT TIME APCH ASKED US TO RECHK OUR ALT. WE WERE ABOUT 1800' MSL AND I AGREED WITH APCH. WE CLBED BACK TO 2700' UNTIL THE CREW HAD VIS ON FIELD AND LANDED W/O FURTHER PROBS.
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.