Flight crew given 'expect' a specific routing which they are unable to locate in their charts. First officer begins to look and has altitude deviation. ATC used old name for the VOR which had been changed. ATC phraseology. Altitude deviation.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	338840
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pie
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32700 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	338840
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While cruising at FL330 (first officer flying the airplane) ATC gave a 180 degree vector and told us to expect 'collier county' flight plan route. I (captain) looked over my charts and approach plates and was unable to find 'collier county.' first officer noticed me looking and began to look at his charts and descended approximately 300 ft. ATC asked us to check our altitude and we returned to FL330. I then queried ATC as to the location of collier county and they informed me the VOR name had been changed to cypress. We continued to mia and joined the cypress arrival. This occurred as a result of 2 problems: the first officer quit flying the airplane without alerting the captain. Confusion generated by ATC over an inaccurate fix. Emphasis needs to continually be placed on 'who is flying' and secondly, ATC needs to be accurate in their narrative.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC GIVEN 'EXPECT' A SPECIFIC ROUTING WHICH THEY ARE UNABLE TO LOCATE IN THEIR CHARTS. FO BEGINS TO LOOK AND HAS ALTDEV. ATC USED OLD NAME FOR THE VOR WHICH HAD BEEN CHANGED. ATC PHRASEOLOGY. ALTDEV.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL330 (FO FLYING THE AIRPLANE) ATC GAVE A 180 DEG VECTOR AND TOLD US TO EXPECT 'COLLIER COUNTY' FLT PLAN RTE. I (CAPT) LOOKED OVER MY CHARTS AND APCH PLATES AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND 'COLLIER COUNTY.' FO NOTICED ME LOOKING AND BEGAN TO LOOK AT HIS CHARTS AND DSNDED APPROX 300 FT. ATC ASKED US TO CHK OUR ALT AND WE RETURNED TO FL330. I THEN QUERIED ATC AS TO THE LOCATION OF COLLIER COUNTY AND THEY INFORMED ME THE VOR NAME HAD BEEN CHANGED TO CYPRESS. WE CONTINUED TO MIA AND JOINED THE CYPRESS ARR. THIS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF 2 PROBS: THE FO QUIT FLYING THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT ALERTING THE CAPT. CONFUSION GENERATED BY ATC OVER AN INACCURATE FIX. EMPHASIS NEEDS TO CONTINUALLY BE PLACED ON 'WHO IS FLYING' AND SECONDLY, ATC NEEDS TO BE ACCURATE IN THEIR NARRATIVE.

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.