Narrative:

Picked up the ATIS, which reported the ILS 9R and ASR 35 approachs were in use. I discussed this with the captain, who was flying, and told him that I had done the ASR approach 2 yrs earlier and did not feel comfortable with it due to the fact that I don't really understand the requirements of the procedure. He assured me that it was very simple, but we never determined what we would do if the ASR was offered. Sure enough, phl approach asked if we would accept it. I still was just not comfortable, but the captain was shaking his head in the affirmative to the controller's request so I accepted it. At that point, things started happening fast and I was suddenly way behind in my non-flying duties (checklists, in-range report, PA, etc.). I had been planning on the ILS 9R, which would have left me more time. Anyway, while I was out of the loop, the captain was handling the flying and the radio. When I returned we were on our way down to the MDA of 540 ft MSL. Around 900 ft, the controller said we were 7 mi from touchdown and should still be at the previously assigned altitude of 1800 ft. Shortly thereafter he cleared us to descend to MDA. The captain later told me that the controller had said, 'you are X mi from touchdown, your MDA is 540 ft, cleared for the approach.' company manual says the controller is to inform you when on the final approach segment. Whether 'cleared for the approach, MDA is 540 ft' means you are on the final segment I don't know. Our operations specifications allow us to do an ASR, but we receive no training for it at all. This is why I'm not comfortable with the approach. Until I get adequate training, I will not do it again regardless of the other crew member's assurances. Flying an airplane carrying trusting passenger in IMC is not the time for learning, or for either crew member to be unsure of the right and wrong or to be out of the loop on any approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION IN PREMATURE DSCNT TOWARDS MDA ON ASR APCH PROC.

Narrative: PICKED UP THE ATIS, WHICH RPTED THE ILS 9R AND ASR 35 APCHS WERE IN USE. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE CAPT, WHO WAS FLYING, AND TOLD HIM THAT I HAD DONE THE ASR APCH 2 YRS EARLIER AND DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROC. HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS VERY SIMPLE, BUT WE NEVER DETERMINED WHAT WE WOULD DO IF THE ASR WAS OFFERED. SURE ENOUGH, PHL APCH ASKED IF WE WOULD ACCEPT IT. I STILL WAS JUST NOT COMFORTABLE, BUT THE CAPT WAS SHAKING HIS HEAD IN THE AFFIRMATIVE TO THE CTLR'S REQUEST SO I ACCEPTED IT. AT THAT POINT, THINGS STARTED HAPPENING FAST AND I WAS SUDDENLY WAY BEHIND IN MY NON-FLYING DUTIES (CHKLISTS, IN-RANGE RPT, PA, ETC.). I HAD BEEN PLANNING ON THE ILS 9R, WHICH WOULD HAVE LEFT ME MORE TIME. ANYWAY, WHILE I WAS OUT OF THE LOOP, THE CAPT WAS HANDLING THE FLYING AND THE RADIO. WHEN I RETURNED WE WERE ON OUR WAY DOWN TO THE MDA OF 540 FT MSL. AROUND 900 FT, THE CTLR SAID WE WERE 7 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN AND SHOULD STILL BE AT THE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED ALT OF 1800 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE CLRED US TO DSND TO MDA. THE CAPT LATER TOLD ME THAT THE CTLR HAD SAID, 'YOU ARE X MI FROM TOUCHDOWN, YOUR MDA IS 540 FT, CLRED FOR THE APCH.' COMPANY MANUAL SAYS THE CTLR IS TO INFORM YOU WHEN ON THE FINAL APCH SEGMENT. WHETHER 'CLRED FOR THE APCH, MDA IS 540 FT' MEANS YOU ARE ON THE FINAL SEGMENT I DON'T KNOW. OUR OPS SPECS ALLOW US TO DO AN ASR, BUT WE RECEIVE NO TRAINING FOR IT AT ALL. THIS IS WHY I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE APCH. UNTIL I GET ADEQUATE TRAINING, I WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN REGARDLESS OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBER'S ASSURANCES. FLYING AN AIRPLANE CARRYING TRUSTING PAX IN IMC IS NOT THE TIME FOR LEARNING, OR FOR EITHER CREW MEMBER TO BE UNSURE OF THE RIGHT AND WRONG OR TO BE OUT OF THE LOOP ON ANY APCH.

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.