Flight crew flies 300 ft low over fuelr intersection at lax.

Attributes
ACN	342527
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7700 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 8400
ASRS Report	342527
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared for the civet 1 arrival to lax. ATIS said runway 25L GS unusable beyond 10 mi. Approach control then cleared us for the ILS approach to runway 25L at arnes intersection. As we crossed arnes intersection at 10000 ft the GS was centered. I then selected approach mode on the autoplt since I thought the GS was ok. The autoplt was smooth and I saw no GS flags. Approach control informed me I crossed fuelr intersection at 7700 ft instead of 8000 ft. I was busy with speed reductions and traffic and did not think about the stepdowns on the approach since I was cleared for the ILS runway 25L approach at arnes intersection. I believe a reminder from the controller would have prevented this since the clearance, 'cleared for the runway 25L ILS at arnes' and at arnes at 10000 ft both the localizer and GS were centered led me to think all I had to do was keep the localizer and GS centered, which I did. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter felt that anytime an aircraft is cleared for an ILS approach, all crossing altitudes are clear. Further, he felt the GS had a bend in it which took him too low which caused him to intrude on the airspace at fuelr. Reporter was informed that the airspace below fuelr would always be violated if an aircraft were to be on the GS of the ILS. Reporter was asked that if the controller were to make the statement, 'cleared for the ILS to runway 25L, comply with all altitude restrs,' would that make him more alert to comply with all altitude restrs. He replied that it would ring a bell and keep him at the proper altitudes all the way down the ILS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FLIES 300 FT LOW OVER FUELR INTXN AT LAX.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE CIVET 1 ARR TO LAX. ATIS SAID RWY 25L GS UNUSABLE BEYOND 10 MI. APCH CTL THEN CLRED US FOR THE ILS APCH TO RWY 25L AT ARNES INTXN. AS WE CROSSED ARNES INTXN AT 10000 FT THE GS WAS CTRED. I THEN SELECTED APCH MODE ON THE AUTOPLT SINCE I THOUGHT THE GS WAS OK. THE AUTOPLT WAS SMOOTH AND I SAW NO GS FLAGS. APCH CTL INFORMED ME I CROSSED FUELR INTXN AT 7700 FT INSTEAD OF 8000 FT. I WAS BUSY WITH SPD REDUCTIONS AND TFC AND DID NOT THINK ABOUT THE STEPDOWNS ON THE APCH SINCE I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 25L APCH AT ARNES INTXN. I BELIEVE A REMINDER FROM THE CTLR WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SINCE THE CLRNC, 'CLRED FOR THE RWY 25L ILS AT ARNES' AND AT ARNES AT 10000 FT BOTH THE LOC AND GS WERE CTRED LED ME TO THINK ALL I HAD TO DO WAS KEEP THE LOC AND GS CTRED, WHICH I DID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FELT THAT ANYTIME AN ACFT IS CLRED FOR AN ILS APCH, ALL XING ALTS ARE CLR. FURTHER, HE FELT THE GS HAD A BEND IN IT WHICH TOOK HIM TOO LOW WHICH CAUSED HIM TO INTRUDE ON THE AIRSPACE AT FUELR. RPTR WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRSPACE BELOW FUELR WOULD ALWAYS BE VIOLATED IF AN ACFT WERE TO BE ON THE GS OF THE ILS. RPTR WAS ASKED THAT IF THE CTLR WERE TO MAKE THE STATEMENT, 'CLRED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 25L, COMPLY WITH ALL ALT RESTRS,' WOULD THAT MAKE HIM MORE ALERT TO COMPLY WITH ALL ALT RESTRS. HE REPLIED THAT IT WOULD RING A BELL AND KEEP HIM AT THE PROPER ALTS ALL THE WAY DOWN THE ILS.

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.