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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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On approach into milan, italy, the reporter was the first officer PF and the captain was the PNF handling communication. Understanding the controller's instructions was difficult due to the controller's accent. The controller vectored the flight to the localizer and gave what the first officer heard as 2000 ft. The first officer not seeing the captain respond with setting the altitude alerter, set the altitude alerter himself and unilaterally commenced to descend. The controller intervened and said to return to 4000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 332260 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199604 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mxp |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mxp |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 155 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 332260 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach into milano, italy, I was the PF and the captain was handling communications with milan. We had been given several intermediate altitude step-downs and understanding the controller's instructions/clrncs was difficult due to the controller's accent. We were vectored to join the localizer and given a further descent. I 'heard' 2000 ft. The captain did not set or confirm the altitude, so I put in 2000 ft. Passing approximately 3000 ft, the controller inquired as to our altitude. The captain reported it and the controller asked for an immediate climb to 4000 ft. We (I) arrested our descent, climbed to 4000 ft where we intercepted the GS and continued the approach. Having briefed the approach, I knew the IAP altitude was 4000 ft, but also knew that on final, 2000 ft gave us terrain clearance. I still questioned (to myself) momentarily why the controller would give us that altitude but accepted it. Bad decision. Either I had misheard the clearance or the controller had misspoken the clearance. Equally wrong, I thought I had heard it correctly, but the captain, handling communications, had not fully understood the clearance and had not set in the altitude in the window, per policy. I now have a tremendous regard for proper procedure and making certain all 3 crew members understand the assigned altitude. Also to question clrncs that don't coincide with charts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ON APCH INTO MILAN, ITALY, THE RPTR WAS THE FO PF AND THE CAPT WAS THE PNF HANDLING COM. UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO THE CTLR'S ACCENT. THE CTLR VECTORED THE FLT TO THE LOC AND GAVE WHAT THE FO HEARD AS 2000 FT. THE FO NOT SEEING THE CAPT RESPOND WITH SETTING THE ALT ALERTER, SET THE ALT ALERTER HIMSELF AND UNILATERALLY COMMENCED TO DSND. THE CTLR INTERVENED AND SAID TO RETURN TO 4000 FT.
Narrative: ON APCH INTO MILANO, ITALY, I WAS THE PF AND THE CAPT WAS HANDLING COMS WITH MILAN. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL INTERMEDIATE ALT STEP-DOWNS AND UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS/CLRNCS WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO THE CTLR'S ACCENT. WE WERE VECTORED TO JOIN THE LOC AND GIVEN A FURTHER DSCNT. I 'HEARD' 2000 FT. THE CAPT DID NOT SET OR CONFIRM THE ALT, SO I PUT IN 2000 FT. PASSING APPROX 3000 FT, THE CTLR INQUIRED AS TO OUR ALT. THE CAPT RPTED IT AND THE CTLR ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 4000 FT. WE (I) ARRESTED OUR DSCNT, CLBED TO 4000 FT WHERE WE INTERCEPTED THE GS AND CONTINUED THE APCH. HAVING BRIEFED THE APCH, I KNEW THE IAP ALT WAS 4000 FT, BUT ALSO KNEW THAT ON FINAL, 2000 FT GAVE US TERRAIN CLRNC. I STILL QUESTIONED (TO MYSELF) MOMENTARILY WHY THE CTLR WOULD GIVE US THAT ALT BUT ACCEPTED IT. BAD DECISION. EITHER I HAD MISHEARD THE CLRNC OR THE CTLR HAD MISSPOKEN THE CLRNC. EQUALLY WRONG, I THOUGHT I HAD HEARD IT CORRECTLY, BUT THE CAPT, HANDLING COMS, HAD NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND HAD NOT SET IN THE ALT IN THE WINDOW, PER POLICY. I NOW HAVE A TREMENDOUS REGARD FOR PROPER PROC AND MAKING CERTAIN ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNED ALT. ALSO TO QUESTION CLRNCS THAT DON'T COINCIDE WITH CHARTS.
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.