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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew overshoots assigned altitude. Clearance interpretation problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 295370 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199502 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sjc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation III, VI, VII |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute airway : zoa |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time total : 8100 |
| ASRS Report | 295370 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
On feb/xx/95 we departed sjc IFR in our citation 650 for chicago. We were cleared on the loupe 9 departure with a climb clearance to 5000 ft. Climbing out on runway heading (runway 30L) the departure entails a right turn at 1.8 DME (sjc VOR) to a 120 degree heading to 5000 ft. We were advised by ATC to go direct the sjc VOR, then advised (I believe) to cross the sjc VOR at 12000 ft to maintain FL230. I acknowledged and turned the altitude alerter to FL230 as I had understood ATC to mean for us to be at or above 12000 ft by the VOR to maintain FL230. I looked at the captain's altimeter and said we would be at 12000 ft in plenty of time so I set the alerter for FL230. During the same climb clearance we were told to contact oakland. At this point I called ATC and advised we were out of 12200 ft for FL230. The controller replied maintain 13000 ft. I asked him to repeat and he said maintain 13000 ft, which we did. The controller said there must have been some confusion on the clearance. The controller then stated that we were level at 13000 ft 6 mi south of the VOR, I replied that we had just leveled off at 13000 ft. No further comments on the matter were made I believe. I am not sure why I reacted to the clearance as I did, but I have been a corporate pilot for 17 yrs and don't usually mistake clrncs. I think maybe the clearance should have been to maintain 12000 ft and the next controller given us FL230 at a more appropriate time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT. CLRNC INTERP PROB.
Narrative: ON FEB/XX/95 WE DEPARTED SJC IFR IN OUR CITATION 650 FOR CHICAGO. WE WERE CLRED ON THE LOUPE 9 DEP WITH A CLIMB CLRNC TO 5000 FT. CLBING OUT ON RWY HDG (RWY 30L) THE DEP ENTAILS A R TURN AT 1.8 DME (SJC VOR) TO A 120 DEG HDG TO 5000 FT. WE WERE ADVISED BY ATC TO GO DIRECT THE SJC VOR, THEN ADVISED (I BELIEVE) TO CROSS THE SJC VOR AT 12000 FT TO MAINTAIN FL230. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TURNED THE ALT ALERTER TO FL230 AS I HAD UNDERSTOOD ATC TO MEAN FOR US TO BE AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT BY THE VOR TO MAINTAIN FL230. I LOOKED AT THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER AND SAID WE WOULD BE AT 12000 FT IN PLENTY OF TIME SO I SET THE ALERTER FOR FL230. DURING THE SAME CLB CLRNC WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT OAKLAND. AT THIS POINT I CALLED ATC AND ADVISED WE WERE OUT OF 12200 FT FOR FL230. THE CTLR REPLIED MAINTAIN 13000 FT. I ASKED HIM TO REPEAT AND HE SAID MAINTAIN 13000 FT, WHICH WE DID. THE CTLR SAID THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION ON THE CLRNC. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT 13000 FT 6 MI S OF THE VOR, I REPLIED THAT WE HAD JUST LEVELED OFF AT 13000 FT. NO FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE MATTER WERE MADE I BELIEVE. I AM NOT SURE WHY I REACTED TO THE CLRNC AS I DID, BUT I HAVE BEEN A CORPORATE PLT FOR 17 YRS AND DON'T USUALLY MISTAKE CLRNCS. I THINK MAYBE THE CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT AND THE NEXT CTLR GIVEN US FL230 AT A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME.
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.