Altitude deviation. Crossing restr not met.

Attributes
ACN	320160
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	320160
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared to cross shine intersection at 10000 ft and 250 KTS. Started down 16 mi from shine from 14000 ft MSL. This would obviously provide sufficient descent time with some distance to spare. As I approached 11000 ft and 6 mi to go, I began to shallow the descent. Another 2 or 3 mi went by but altitude had decreased only 300-400 ft. At first I suspected the altimeter but then I checked omega wind speed readout. It indicated a quartering tailwind at 135 KTS. The wind was not there when I began descent. I immediately increased rate of descent but was unable to cross shine at 10000 ft. I crossed shine at approximately 10600 ft MSL and again shallowed descent so as not to bust altitude and leveled at 10000 ft about 3 mi after shine. Airspeed, indicating 250 KTS. Omega continued to indicate high tailwind. Shortly thereafter I was vectored for approach and concentrated on that. Nothing was said by ATC and I don't believe I caused any significant impact on them or not. It appeared that I entered a horizontal windshear in the leveloff phase of my descent. I was unable to fully explore this as I was subsequently cleared for vectors and further descent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV. XING RESTR NOT MET.

Narrative: CLRED TO CROSS SHINE INTXN AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS. STARTED DOWN 16 MI FROM SHINE FROM 14000 FT MSL. THIS WOULD OBVIOUSLY PROVIDE SUFFICIENT DSCNT TIME WITH SOME DISTANCE TO SPARE. AS I APCHED 11000 FT AND 6 MI TO GO, I BEGAN TO SHALLOW THE DSCNT. ANOTHER 2 OR 3 MI WENT BY BUT ALT HAD DECREASED ONLY 300-400 FT. AT FIRST I SUSPECTED THE ALTIMETER BUT THEN I CHKED OMEGA WIND SPD READOUT. IT INDICATED A QUARTERING TAILWIND AT 135 KTS. THE WIND WAS NOT THERE WHEN I BEGAN DSCNT. I IMMEDIATELY INCREASED RATE OF DSCNT BUT WAS UNABLE TO CROSS SHINE AT 10000 FT. I CROSSED SHINE AT APPROX 10600 FT MSL AND AGAIN SHALLOWED DSCNT SO AS NOT TO BUST ALT AND LEVELED AT 10000 FT ABOUT 3 MI AFTER SHINE. AIRSPD, INDICATING 250 KTS. OMEGA CONTINUED TO INDICATE HIGH TAILWIND. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I WAS VECTORED FOR APCH AND CONCENTRATED ON THAT. NOTHING WAS SAID BY ATC AND I DON'T BELIEVE I CAUSED ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THEM OR NOT. IT APPEARED THAT I ENTERED A HORIZ WINDSHEAR IN THE LEVELOFF PHASE OF MY DSCNT. I WAS UNABLE TO FULLY EXPLORE THIS AS I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR VECTORS AND FURTHER DSCNT.

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.