<< >> NASA ASRS Report 315320, September 1995

Delayed descent.

Attributes
ACN	315320
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 35000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw tower : pvd
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	315320
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While level at FL350, we were given a descent clearance to FL310. We were distracted at the time handling a request from dispatch as well as a transition to the arrival. I selected FL310 on the altitude alert and thought that I had initiated the descent on the autoplt. After a couple of mins, ATC asked if we had started our descent. It was then that I realized that I had not confirmed we were descending and that we had not begun our descent. We immediately descended to FL310. There did not appear to be traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DELAYED DSCNT.

Narrative: WHILE LEVEL AT FL350, WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT CLRNC TO FL310. WE WERE DISTRACTED AT THE TIME HANDLING A REQUEST FROM DISPATCH AS WELL AS A TRANSITION TO THE ARR. I SELECTED FL310 ON THE ALT ALERT AND THOUGHT THAT I HAD INITIATED THE DSCNT ON THE AUTOPLT. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS, ATC ASKED IF WE HAD STARTED OUR DSCNT. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT CONFIRMED WE WERE DSNDING AND THAT WE HAD NOT BEGUN OUR DSCNT. WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO FL310. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE TFC.

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.