Narrative:

During the delta 1 STAR, level 12000 ft, the captain reset the MCP to 10000 ft, the next step down altitude. However, this was not shown on the STAR crossing fix (DME 7 mi bog) I selected flight crew (flight level change) and called for gear down. This started the descent. I was referring to the STAR. The captain was referring to the approach plate and STAR. The captain caught the error and we immediately climbed to 12000 ft. Every other terminal STAR page shows the bog crossing altitude but the delta 1 STAR. This is a source of confusion that chart company should correct now. But for a sharp captain and an alert bog controller, the deviation might have been excessive. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: air carrier has 'special procedures' for south american stations. The basic thrust of those procedures is for the crews to monitor raw data when below FL250. The normal procedure is for the flight crew to set the next 'step down altitude' in the FMC after the autoplt/FMS goes into 'altitude hold' at the cleared level. Reporter repeated his concerns regarding the missing '12000 ft' over the bog VOR on the approach. He admitted his error in leaving 12000 ft prematurely. Both the flight crew and the controller did catch the deviation right away. Reporter voiced his concern over the levels of training and qualifications of the approach controllers in south america. The flight was never told that they were in radar contact and the crew performed as though in a nonradar environment. The radars are not 'good' and the controllers are not certified. Reporter referred to the operation as a 'nickel and dime operation.' reporter doesn't know if air carrier has given him a reply to his report as he has been home in between scheduled flts. Supplemental information from acn 324851: cleared to bog NDB via delta 1, maintain 12000 ft. Subsequently cleared straight in ILS runway 13. After altitude capture at 12000 ft and prior to bog NDB I reset MCP to 10000 ft. Preparing for next step down altitude at the bog NDB, VOR OTS, NDB was used as primary fix with aircraft configured flaps 20 degrees/160 KTS, first officer called for gear down, placed gear handle down, waited for 3 green, moved mechanical checklist tab for gear and brakes. Autobrakes were inoperative. Asked first officer if autospoilers desired. At this point we were in a descent, I looked at RMI, said stop descent, climb to 12000 ft. We had not crossed the NDB. Bog approach 11-1 page. Bogota approach asked altitude. We said at 12000 ft. Normal approach and landing followed. Reviewed approach with first officer, realized there was confusion on the delta 1 STAR. The delta 1 STAR as opposed to all other stars and sids does not show a crossing altitude for the bog VOR/NDB. The crossing altitude at the NDB/VOR is on the ILS chart. Callback conversation with reporter of acn 324851 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the WX conditions were clear at night and the mountains and city could be seen. An accident was upper most in pilot's and controller's minds having happened just recently. The bog VOR was OTS. Traffic control wanted the reporter to go direct from alejandria to bogota. Since the radio beacon could not be received at that distance the flight crew insisted on flying the airway. Also, company policy now is to fly airways. Columbia ATC is sensitive to united states airline pilot preference and not accepting assigned routings is taken as an affront. The first officer was flying. The approach was briefed. The checklist was being read when the reporter noticed the first officer had gone to level change and descended below the 12000 ft assigned and was not past bog. The reporter believes he had become too involved in the checklist tab movement physically located to the right of the gear handle on the first officer side of the forward instrument panel. The corrective action would be for the PF to announce aloud that he is leaving an altitude, changing a heading or a VOR frequency or course to assure the other pilot is always in the loop. The desired change to the chart has been made since this altitude deviation. The deviation was reported in the newspaper.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFIT INCIDENT DURING APCH INTO BOG, FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DURING THE DELTA 1 STAR, LEVEL 12000 FT, THE CAPT RESET THE MCP TO 10000 FT, THE NEXT STEP DOWN ALT. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT SHOWN ON THE STAR XING FIX (DME 7 MI BOG) I SELECTED FLC (FLT LEVEL CHANGE) AND CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN. THIS STARTED THE DSCNT. I WAS REFERRING TO THE STAR. THE CAPT WAS REFERRING TO THE APCH PLATE AND STAR. THE CAPT CAUGHT THE ERROR AND WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 12000 FT. EVERY OTHER TERMINAL STAR PAGE SHOWS THE BOG XING ALT BUT THE DELTA 1 STAR. THIS IS A SOURCE OF CONFUSION THAT CHART COMPANY SHOULD CORRECT NOW. BUT FOR A SHARP CAPT AND AN ALERT BOG CTLR, THE DEV MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXCESSIVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACR HAS 'SPECIAL PROCS' FOR S AMERICAN STATIONS. THE BASIC THRUST OF THOSE PROCS IS FOR THE CREWS TO MONITOR RAW DATA WHEN BELOW FL250. THE NORMAL PROC IS FOR THE FLC TO SET THE NEXT 'STEP DOWN ALT' IN THE FMC AFTER THE AUTOPLT/FMS GOES INTO 'ALT HOLD' AT THE CLRED LEVEL. RPTR REPEATED HIS CONCERNS REGARDING THE MISSING '12000 FT' OVER THE BOG VOR ON THE APCH. HE ADMITTED HIS ERROR IN LEAVING 12000 FT PREMATURELY. BOTH THE FLC AND THE CTLR DID CATCH THE DEV RIGHT AWAY. RPTR VOICED HIS CONCERN OVER THE LEVELS OF TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS OF THE APCH CTLRS IN S AMERICA. THE FLT WAS NEVER TOLD THAT THEY WERE IN RADAR CONTACT AND THE CREW PERFORMED AS THOUGH IN A NONRADAR ENVIRONMENT. THE RADARS ARE NOT 'GOOD' AND THE CTLRS ARE NOT CERTIFIED. RPTR REFERRED TO THE OP AS A 'NICKEL AND DIME OP.' RPTR DOESN'T KNOW IF ACR HAS GIVEN HIM A REPLY TO HIS RPT AS HE HAS BEEN HOME IN BTWN SCHEDULED FLTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 324851: CLRED TO BOG NDB VIA DELTA 1, MAINTAIN 12000 FT. SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED STRAIGHT IN ILS RWY 13. AFTER ALT CAPTURE AT 12000 FT AND PRIOR TO BOG NDB I RESET MCP TO 10000 FT. PREPARING FOR NEXT STEP DOWN ALT AT THE BOG NDB, VOR OTS, NDB WAS USED AS PRIMARY FIX WITH ACFT CONFIGURED FLAPS 20 DEGS/160 KTS, FO CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN, PLACED GEAR HANDLE DOWN, WAITED FOR 3 GREEN, MOVED MECHANICAL CHKLIST TAB FOR GEAR AND BRAKES. AUTOBRAKES WERE INOP. ASKED FO IF AUTOSPOILERS DESIRED. AT THIS POINT WE WERE IN A DSCNT, I LOOKED AT RMI, SAID STOP DSCNT, CLB TO 12000 FT. WE HAD NOT CROSSED THE NDB. BOG APCH 11-1 PAGE. BOGOTA APCH ASKED ALT. WE SAID AT 12000 FT. NORMAL APCH AND LNDG FOLLOWED. REVIEWED APCH WITH FO, REALIZED THERE WAS CONFUSION ON THE DELTA 1 STAR. THE DELTA 1 STAR AS OPPOSED TO ALL OTHER STARS AND SIDS DOES NOT SHOW A XING ALT FOR THE BOG VOR/NDB. THE XING ALT AT THE NDB/VOR IS ON THE ILS CHART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR OF ACN 324851 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE WX CONDITIONS WERE CLR AT NIGHT AND THE MOUNTAINS AND CITY COULD BE SEEN. AN ACCIDENT WAS UPPER MOST IN PLT'S AND CTLR'S MINDS HAVING HAPPENED JUST RECENTLY. THE BOG VOR WAS OTS. TFC CTL WANTED THE RPTR TO GO DIRECT FROM ALEJANDRIA TO BOGOTA. SINCE THE RADIO BEACON COULD NOT BE RECEIVED AT THAT DISTANCE THE FLC INSISTED ON FLYING THE AIRWAY. ALSO, COMPANY POLICY NOW IS TO FLY AIRWAYS. COLUMBIA ATC IS SENSITIVE TO UNITED STATES AIRLINE PLT PREFERENCE AND NOT ACCEPTING ASSIGNED ROUTINGS IS TAKEN AS AN AFFRONT. THE FO WAS FLYING. THE APCH WAS BRIEFED. THE CHKLIST WAS BEING READ WHEN THE RPTR NOTICED THE FO HAD GONE TO LEVEL CHANGE AND DSNDED BELOW THE 12000 FT ASSIGNED AND WAS NOT PAST BOG. THE RPTR BELIEVES HE HAD BECOME TOO INVOLVED IN THE CHKLIST TAB MOVEMENT PHYSICALLY LOCATED TO THE R OF THE GEAR HANDLE ON THE FO SIDE OF THE FORWARD INST PANEL. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE FOR THE PF TO ANNOUNCE ALOUD THAT HE IS LEAVING AN ALT, CHANGING A HEADING OR A VOR FREQ OR COURSE TO ASSURE THE OTHER PLT IS ALWAYS IN THE LOOP. THE DESIRED CHANGE TO THE CHART HAS BEEN MADE SINCE THIS ALTDEV. THE DEV WAS RPTED IN THE NEWSPAPER.

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.