Large transport flight crew on turn in for visual to atl, 4500 ft, descended to 4200 ft.

Attributes
ACN	198394
Time
Date	199201
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4200 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 380
ASRS Report	198394
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After about 4 turns of holding over rome VOR vectors for approach (visual) to 26R at atl. Vectored north of airport heading east cleared to descend from (I think) 8000 ft to 4500 ft and turn about 150 degrees right to a visual final. In turn was asked to slow from 250 KTS to 210 KTS. Field was clearly in sight earlier but was momentarily out of view due to broken cloud cover during turn. Our position was high so I used full speed brake to go/down slow/down. During localizer intercept we received an aural 'traffic traffic' warning from TCASII. During this distraction I allowed aircraft to descend to 4200 ft and then corrected back to 4500 ft. I will say also that our company had just revised approach and departure SOP which included a radical change in airspeed bug placement/usage and new 'FLIP cards' for flap/approach speeds. The aircraft had old data removed and new type cards installed. We were supposed to have been given manual revisions and bulletins to explain the new procedure. Instead we received only a preliminary bulletin which we read on the flight to atl. No one was sure what the procedures were, causing confusion and distraction during this critical phase of flight. Suggest TCASII off while in TCA, or air traffic area, or below 7000. Suggest no changes in SOP until all pilots fully informed in a timely manner with proper printed materials and time to review them. Set altimeter warning tolerance to 150.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FLC ON TURN IN FOR VISUAL TO ATL, 4500 FT, DSNDED TO 4200 FT.

Narrative: AFTER ABOUT 4 TURNS OF HOLDING OVER ROME VOR VECTORS FOR APCH (VISUAL) TO 26R AT ATL. VECTORED N OF ARPT HDG E CLRED TO DSND FROM (I THINK) 8000 FT TO 4500 FT AND TURN ABOUT 150 DEGS R TO A VISUAL FINAL. IN TURN WAS ASKED TO SLOW FROM 250 KTS TO 210 KTS. FIELD WAS CLRLY IN SIGHT EARLIER BUT WAS MOMENTARILY OUT OF VIEW DUE TO BROKEN CLOUD COVER DURING TURN. OUR POS WAS HIGH SO I USED FULL SPD BRAKE TO GO/DOWN SLOW/DOWN. DURING LOC INTERCEPT WE RECEIVED AN AURAL 'TFC TFC' WARNING FROM TCASII. DURING THIS DISTR I ALLOWED ACFT TO DSND TO 4200 FT AND THEN CORRECTED BACK TO 4500 FT. I WILL SAY ALSO THAT OUR COMPANY HAD JUST REVISED APCH AND DEP SOP WHICH INCLUDED A RADICAL CHANGE IN AIRSPD BUG PLACEMENT/USAGE AND NEW 'FLIP CARDS' FOR FLAP/APCH SPDS. THE ACFT HAD OLD DATA REMOVED AND NEW TYPE CARDS INSTALLED. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN MANUAL REVISIONS AND BULLETINS TO EXPLAIN THE NEW PROC. INSTEAD WE RECEIVED ONLY A PRELIMINARY BULLETIN WHICH WE READ ON THE FLT TO ATL. NO ONE WAS SURE WHAT THE PROCS WERE, CAUSING CONFUSION AND DISTR DURING THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. SUGGEST TCASII OFF WHILE IN TCA, OR ATA, OR BELOW 7000. SUGGEST NO CHANGES IN SOP UNTIL ALL PLTS FULLY INFORMED IN A TIMELY MANNER WITH PROPER PRINTED MATERIALS AND TIME TO REVIEW THEM. SET ALTIMETER WARNING TOLERANCE TO 150.

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.