Flight crew confusion spane 1 arrival to slc.

Attributes
ACN	320780
Time
Date	199511
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mtu
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zlc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	320780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Is anybody else confused about the descent clrncs on the slc arrs. I was flying the spane 1 arrival and was issued the clearance 'descend via the spane 1 arrival landing north' as this is not a profile descent I admit to being a bit confused. This clears me to descend to 16000 ft at spane, but what about the next fix, no that's an expect to cross altitude. The whole procedure seemed nonstandard to both me and the controller. I should have studied the arrival a little closer, but at night, in the WX, flying between the slc mountain passes a standard clearance to cross spane at 16000 ft would be less confusing. Note, I would not have been confused if this arrival had been called a profile descent. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the flight crew had not thoroughly briefed the arrival and it was dark in the cockpit so he had a hard time reading the arrival. Reporter also stated he was on center frequency and the center controller did not know what altitude would be assigned after spane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CONFUSION SPANE 1 ARR TO SLC.

Narrative: IS ANYBODY ELSE CONFUSED ABOUT THE DSCNT CLRNCS ON THE SLC ARRS. I WAS FLYING THE SPANE 1 ARR AND WAS ISSUED THE CLRNC 'DSND VIA THE SPANE 1 ARR LNDG N' AS THIS IS NOT A PROFILE DSCNT I ADMIT TO BEING A BIT CONFUSED. THIS CLRS ME TO DSND TO 16000 FT AT SPANE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT FIX, NO THAT'S AN EXPECT TO CROSS ALT. THE WHOLE PROC SEEMED NONSTANDARD TO BOTH ME AND THE CTLR. I SHOULD HAVE STUDIED THE ARR A LITTLE CLOSER, BUT AT NIGHT, IN THE WX, FLYING BTWN THE SLC MOUNTAIN PASSES A STANDARD CLRNC TO CROSS SPANE AT 16000 FT WOULD BE LESS CONFUSING. NOTE, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONFUSED IF THIS ARR HAD BEEN CALLED A PROFILE DSCNT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE FLC HAD NOT THOROUGHLY BRIEFED THE ARR AND IT WAS DARK IN THE COCKPIT SO HE HAD A HARD TIME READING THE ARR. RPTR ALSO STATED HE WAS ON CTR FREQ AND THE CTR CTLR DID NOT KNOW WHAT ALT WOULD BE ASSIGNED AFTER SPANE.

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.