Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	299050
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : yyz airport : uuz
State Reference	ON
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival : profile descent arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : czuz
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	299050
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Crossed 39 DME south of yyz while on profile descent at 10000 ft instead of between 18000 ft and 12000 ft as depicted. 10000 ft was the second of 3 altitudes depicted on our arrival from over buf. The first fix altitude depiction is not printed in line with and alongside route as are the second and third fix altitudes. The first fix altitude was missed and compliance with second fix altitude adhered to. Altitude restrs should be as near route as possible and not obscured on arrival chart. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies as captain on the md-80 for a major united states air carrier. He has very seldom been to yyz, maybe 'once or twice a yr.' the first officer read off the wrong altitude to cross 'iston' from the profile descent page and the reporter accepted it without question. The controller was not upset, he just suggested that 'you might want to review the profile descent.' the reporter will pass out to his compadres that the ASRS works in foreign airspace as well as domestic. More thorough preparation would have prevented this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV.

Narrative: CROSSED 39 DME S OF YYZ WHILE ON PROFILE DSCNT AT 10000 FT INSTEAD OF BTWN 18000 FT AND 12000 FT AS DEPICTED. 10000 FT WAS THE SECOND OF 3 ALTS DEPICTED ON OUR ARR FROM OVER BUF. THE FIRST FIX ALT DEPICTION IS NOT PRINTED IN LINE WITH AND ALONGSIDE RTE AS ARE THE SECOND AND THIRD FIX ALTS. THE FIRST FIX ALT WAS MISSED AND COMPLIANCE WITH SECOND FIX ALT ADHERED TO. ALT RESTRS SHOULD BE AS NEAR RTE AS POSSIBLE AND NOT OBSCURED ON ARR CHART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES AS CAPT ON THE MD-80 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE HAS VERY SELDOM BEEN TO YYZ, MAYBE 'ONCE OR TWICE A YR.' THE FO READ OFF THE WRONG ALT TO CROSS 'ISTON' FROM THE PROFILE DSCNT PAGE AND THE RPTR ACCEPTED IT WITHOUT QUESTION. THE CTLR WAS NOT UPSET, HE JUST SUGGESTED THAT 'YOU MIGHT WANT TO REVIEW THE PROFILE DSCNT.' THE RPTR WILL PASS OUT TO HIS COMPADRES THAT THE ASRS WORKS IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE AS WELL AS DOMESTIC. MORE THOROUGH PREPARATION WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.

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.