Narrative:

As described in a company flight standards letter, I was descending to 2100 ft intercept the GS after crossing bonez intersection. According to socal approach, there is a 3500 ft mandatory crossing altitude at gumby. We crossed gumby at 2900 ft, descending. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callbacks made to socal TRACON and reporter captain. Socal TRACON supervisor provided the exact requirements for mandatory step down altitudes for the approachs to lax. When the WX is IMC or night, the mandatory step down altitudes are in effect and must be followed. Traffic landing on the south complex runways, 25R and left, have the 3500 ft restr at 'hunda' or 'gumby,' which are geographically at the same point and for gumby, 9.9 DME from the ILS runway 25R. The aircraft landing on the north complex are vectored in for intercepts at 2500 ft, or if on the parallel approach, the altitude separation will be maintained by the different altitude restrs. Thus, when in IMC or night, the altitudes are mandatory. If the WX is VMC, and the flight crew requests to fly the GS, in all likelihood it will be approved. The reporter captain had received a flight standards letter from his company stating that the mandatory altitudes were required only on localizer only approachs. Thinking that, and conducting IOE for a new captain, they thought they could descend to the GS intercept altitude of 2100 ft, planning to intercept at 'limma.' because they were descending to 2100 ft and had already descended through the 3500 ft at gumby and at 2900 ft approach controller intervened and alerted them. Another reason the alarms went off at TRACON was because a B747 turning in for the intercept from the north, and for the north complex runways 24R and 24L, overshot the centerline swinging close to reporter's aircraft. Since the reporter was too low and the B747 altitude was correct, it became a loss of separation and ATC filed a report against the reporter. The local FSDO investigated and sent reporter a letter, but because reporter's company had distributed incorrect information, the FSDO took no punitive action. Subsequent to this incident, reporter's company has corrected their flight standards publication regarding approachs to lax and now all flcs should be aware of what to expect. Reporter idented his aircraft as an A300.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CAPT, CHKING OUT NEW CAPT, CLRED FOR RWY 25R ILS APCH, COMMENCED DSCNT TO MARKER GS INTERCEPT ALT OF 2100 FT. NOT REALIZING THE STEP DOWN ALTS DEPICTED ON THE APCH CHART ARE MANDATORY BECAUSE HIS COMPANY HAD PUBLISHED MISLEADING INFO, RPTR'S ALT CONFLICTED WITH TFC BEING VECTORED FOR THE N COMPLEX AND LOSS OF SEPARATION RESULTED. A RPT WAS FILED AGAINST RPTR AND WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE FSDO. NO PUNITIVE ACTION RESULTED.

Narrative: AS DESCRIBED IN A COMPANY FLT STANDARDS LETTER, I WAS DSNDING TO 2100 FT INTERCEPT THE GS AFTER XING BONEZ INTXN. ACCORDING TO SOCAL APCH, THERE IS A 3500 FT MANDATORY XING ALT AT GUMBY. WE CROSSED GUMBY AT 2900 FT, DSNDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACKS MADE TO SOCAL TRACON AND RPTR CAPT. SOCAL TRACON SUPVR PROVIDED THE EXACT REQUIREMENTS FOR MANDATORY STEP DOWN ALTS FOR THE APCHS TO LAX. WHEN THE WX IS IMC OR NIGHT, THE MANDATORY STEP DOWN ALTS ARE IN EFFECT AND MUST BE FOLLOWED. TFC LNDG ON THE S COMPLEX RWYS, 25R AND L, HAVE THE 3500 FT RESTR AT 'HUNDA' OR 'GUMBY,' WHICH ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY AT THE SAME POINT AND FOR GUMBY, 9.9 DME FROM THE ILS RWY 25R. THE ACFT LNDG ON THE N COMPLEX ARE VECTORED IN FOR INTERCEPTS AT 2500 FT, OR IF ON THE PARALLEL APCH, THE ALT SEPARATION WILL BE MAINTAINED BY THE DIFFERENT ALT RESTRS. THUS, WHEN IN IMC OR NIGHT, THE ALTS ARE MANDATORY. IF THE WX IS VMC, AND THE FLC REQUESTS TO FLY THE GS, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD IT WILL BE APPROVED. THE RPTR CAPT HAD RECEIVED A FLT STANDARDS LETTER FROM HIS COMPANY STATING THAT THE MANDATORY ALTS WERE REQUIRED ONLY ON LOC ONLY APCHS. THINKING THAT, AND CONDUCTING IOE FOR A NEW CAPT, THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD DSND TO THE GS INTERCEPT ALT OF 2100 FT, PLANNING TO INTERCEPT AT 'LIMMA.' BECAUSE THEY WERE DSNDING TO 2100 FT AND HAD ALREADY DSNDED THROUGH THE 3500 FT AT GUMBY AND AT 2900 FT APCH CTLR INTERVENED AND ALERTED THEM. ANOTHER REASON THE ALARMS WENT OFF AT TRACON WAS BECAUSE A B747 TURNING IN FOR THE INTERCEPT FROM THE N, AND FOR THE N COMPLEX RWYS 24R AND 24L, OVERSHOT THE CTRLINE SWINGING CLOSE TO RPTR'S ACFT. SINCE THE RPTR WAS TOO LOW AND THE B747 ALT WAS CORRECT, IT BECAME A LOSS OF SEPARATION AND ATC FILED A RPT AGAINST THE RPTR. THE LCL FSDO INVESTIGATED AND SENT RPTR A LETTER, BUT BECAUSE RPTR'S COMPANY HAD DISTRIBUTED INCORRECT INFO, THE FSDO TOOK NO PUNITIVE ACTION. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS INCIDENT, RPTR'S COMPANY HAS CORRECTED THEIR FLT STANDARDS PUB REGARDING APCHS TO LAX AND NOW ALL FLCS SHOULD BE AWARE OF WHAT TO EXPECT. RPTR IDENTED HIS ACFT AS AN A300.

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.