Narrative:

We were cleared to cross flipp intersection at 7000 ft on the flipp 1 arrival. This was my first exposure to the new airspace system around dfw. The captain had flown this arrival only once or twice and was not very familiar with it. The captain began a slow descent as we began to familiarize ourselves with the arrival. Several times we were interrupted by ATC and the flight attendant. We were also confused about how to identify flipp. We missed the crossing restr by approximately 500 ft. I believe that the new airspace around dfw and the flipp 1 arrival, in particular, is very complicated and demanding. I believe this system needs to be simplified dramatically or these types of navigational errors will be repeated on a regular basis. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter was flying an ATR 42 on his IOE when his flight crew encountered difficulty on the flipp 1 STAR into dfw. The instructor captain apparently was also unfamiliar with the STAR. The reporter said that he attempted to assist by reading the crossing restrs and turning points to the captain, but both became confused by the complexity and crossed flipp too high. The first officer also said that the workload involved in flying these new stars and sids is much higher than before and he spends a great deal of time head down dialing in frequencys in this non FMC aircraft. He said that the flcs at his company do not, for the most part, fly the more complicated procedures and instead request vectors. The controllers are initiating the vectors now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC IN A NON-FMC ACFT HAVE DIFFICULTY NAVING THE FLIPP 1 STAR INTO DFW AND CROSS FLIPP INTXN TOO HIGH. THEY COMPLAIN OF THE COMPLEXITY, THE WORKLOAD AND THE HEAD DOWN TIME. ATR 42.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS FLIPP INTXN AT 7000 FT ON THE FLIPP 1 ARR. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE NEW AIRSPACE SYS AROUND DFW. THE CAPT HAD FLOWN THIS ARR ONLY ONCE OR TWICE AND WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT. THE CAPT BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT AS WE BEGAN TO FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES WITH THE ARR. SEVERAL TIMES WE WERE INTERRUPTED BY ATC AND THE FLT ATTENDANT. WE WERE ALSO CONFUSED ABOUT HOW TO IDENT FLIPP. WE MISSED THE XING RESTR BY APPROX 500 FT. I BELIEVE THAT THE NEW AIRSPACE AROUND DFW AND THE FLIPP 1 ARR, IN PARTICULAR, IS VERY COMPLICATED AND DEMANDING. I BELIEVE THIS SYS NEEDS TO BE SIMPLIFIED DRAMATICALLY OR THESE TYPES OF NAVIGATIONAL ERRORS WILL BE REPEATED ON A REGULAR BASIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS FLYING AN ATR 42 ON HIS IOE WHEN HIS FLC ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY ON THE FLIPP 1 STAR INTO DFW. THE INSTRUCTOR CAPT APPARENTLY WAS ALSO UNFAMILIAR WITH THE STAR. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST BY READING THE XING RESTRS AND TURNING POINTS TO THE CAPT, BUT BOTH BECAME CONFUSED BY THE COMPLEXITY AND CROSSED FLIPP TOO HIGH. THE FO ALSO SAID THAT THE WORKLOAD INVOLVED IN FLYING THESE NEW STARS AND SIDS IS MUCH HIGHER THAN BEFORE AND HE SPENDS A GREAT DEAL OF TIME HEAD DOWN DIALING IN FREQS IN THIS NON FMC ACFT. HE SAID THAT THE FLCS AT HIS COMPANY DO NOT, FOR THE MOST PART, FLY THE MORE COMPLICATED PROCS AND INSTEAD REQUEST VECTORS. THE CTLRS ARE INITIATING THE VECTORS NOW.

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.