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Pilot of EMS small transport helicopter aircraft inadvertently descended below assigned altitude during descent to nearby hospital.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 220224 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199209 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 220224 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| 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:
Cruising at 4500 ft, while trying to contact hospital on FM, ATC cleared me to descend at pilot's discretion. I rogered approach control and began descent. In doing so I must have missed ATC's request to maintain 3000 ft. The next call I received was to inform me of traffic climbing out and a course change was requested by approach control because of altitude and was told not to climb. When I saw the approaching aircraft I believe we had good separation and a small course change was all that was needed. Because of radio traffic in the aircraft (helicopter) with the hospital, crew caring for patient, and approach procedure, part of ATC clearance was missed. In the future I will only use radios for flight handlings while working with approach and switch intercom off. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was out of the usual operating area on this call and was very busy due to the unfamiliarity of operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF EMS SMT HELI ACFT INADVERTENTLY DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT TO NEARBY HOSPITAL.
Narrative: CRUISING AT 4500 FT, WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT HOSPITAL ON FM, ATC CLRED ME TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION. I ROGERED APCH CTL AND BEGAN DSCNT. IN DOING SO I MUST HAVE MISSED ATC'S REQUEST TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. THE NEXT CALL I RECEIVED WAS TO INFORM ME OF TFC CLBING OUT AND A COURSE CHANGE WAS REQUESTED BY APCH CTL BECAUSE OF ALT AND WAS TOLD NOT TO CLB. WHEN I SAW THE APCHING ACFT I BELIEVE WE HAD GOOD SEPARATION AND A SMALL COURSE CHANGE WAS ALL THAT WAS NEEDED. BECAUSE OF RADIO TFC IN THE ACFT (HELI) WITH THE HOSPITAL, CREW CARING FOR PATIENT, AND APCH PROC, PART OF ATC CLRNC WAS MISSED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL ONLY USE RADIOS FOR FLT HANDLINGS WHILE WORKING WITH APCH AND SWITCH INTERCOM OFF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS OUT OF THE USUAL OPERATING AREA ON THIS CALL AND WAS VERY BUSY DUE TO THE UNFAMILIARITY OF OP.
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.