<< >> NASA ASRS Report 220693, September 1992

Small aircraft on IFR training flight descends below published altitude at FAF. Causes altitude alert.

Attributes
ACN	220693
Time
Date	199209
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sns
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 700 msl bound upper : 700
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mry tower : sns
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	220693
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Inbound on the VOR runway 13 approach to sns during, an IFR training flight, we were informed by salinas tower that monterey approach had called them and issued an altitude alert for us. They said we crossed sames FAF at 700 ft MSL. The DME was not working so we idented sames with munso NDB 207 bearing. We believe the altitude alert was caused by our misreading the NDB. Our error was due to being unprepared to identify the fix with our ADF as we were relying on our DME to give us this information.

Related reports:

• Flight crew of an air carrier aircraft has difficulty enteri...
• While inbound on an arrival, an air carrier flight crew fail...
• Flight crew of a super MD80 slowed aircraft contrary to a pu...
• A320 flight crew does not 'over fly' a published fix on a de...
• B737-500 aircraft on approach was given microburst warning f...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR TRAINING FLT DSNDS BELOW PUBLISHED ALT AT FAF. CAUSES ALT ALERT.

Narrative: INBOUND ON THE VOR RWY 13 APCH TO SNS DURING, AN IFR TRAINING FLT, WE WERE INFORMED BY SALINAS TWR THAT MONTEREY APCH HAD CALLED THEM AND ISSUED AN ALT ALERT FOR US. THEY SAID WE CROSSED SAMES FAF AT 700 FT MSL. THE DME WAS NOT WORKING SO WE IDENTED SAMES WITH MUNSO NDB 207 BEARING. WE BELIEVE THE ALT ALERT WAS CAUSED BY OUR MISREADING THE NDB. OUR ERROR WAS DUE TO BEING UNPREPARED TO IDENT THE FIX WITH OUR ADF AS WE WERE RELYING ON OUR DME TO GIVE US THIS INFO.

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.