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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier medium large transport descended below minimum altitude before being established on the localizer.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 240858 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199305 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rno |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : rno |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | 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 |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 13500 |
| ASRS Report | 240858 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8200 |
| ASRS Report | 241083 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were being vectored for the runway 34L localizer back course/DME at reno, nv. We were given a downwind on the east side of the airport, and then a turn to base leg. We later received an additional turn inside the 13 DME to intercept the localizer/back course and were cleared for the approach. Our altitude was 9000 ft. We had ground contact, but did not have the airport. As the localizer needle came alive, the captain verified that we could descend to 8200 ft. Out of 8500 ft the controller asked if we had the airport. We indicated that we did not at that point. He advised us that the minimum altitude for our position was 9000 ft and that we were below assigned altitude. We stopped our descent. The controller came back almost immediately and said we could now descend to 8200 ft. Shortly thereafter, we sighted the airport and were cleared for the visual. Although we thought we had published terrain clearance, there was some confusion about our descent out of 9000 ft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG DSNDED BELOW MINIMUM ALT BEFORE BEING ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC.
Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE RWY 34L LOC BACK COURSE/DME AT RENO, NV. WE WERE GIVEN A DOWNWIND ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT, AND THEN A TURN TO BASE LEG. WE LATER RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL TURN INSIDE THE 13 DME TO INTERCEPT THE LOC/BACK COURSE AND WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. OUR ALT WAS 9000 FT. WE HAD GND CONTACT, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT. AS THE LOC NEEDLE CAME ALIVE, THE CAPT VERIFIED THAT WE COULD DSND TO 8200 FT. OUT OF 8500 FT THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT. WE INDICATED THAT WE DID NOT AT THAT POINT. HE ADVISED US THAT THE MINIMUM ALT FOR OUR POS WAS 9000 FT AND THAT WE WERE BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. WE STOPPED OUR DSCNT. THE CTLR CAME BACK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND SAID WE COULD NOW DSND TO 8200 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE SIGHTED THE ARPT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. ALTHOUGH WE THOUGHT WE HAD PUBLISHED TERRAIN CLRNC, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT OUR DSCNT OUT OF 9000 FT.
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.