B737-300 crosses fuelr intersection 1000 ft high at lax.

Attributes
ACN	357313
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ilax airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 24700 flight time type : 8500
ASRS Report	357313
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The crossing restr at fuelr shows 8000 ft. It's not really clear as to whether you must be actually at 8000 ft at fuelr or just as long as you don't drop below 8000 ft until after you cross fuelr. What they (ATC) really wants is that you must be at 8000 ft at fuelr, not above and not below but exactly at 8000 ft. I crossed at 9000 ft MSL. Apparently there is a VFR corridor near there, that makes crossing fuelr exactly at 8000 ft necessary. I think a better notation on the approach plate for fuelr showing exactly what is intended would help out a lot. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was informed that the crossing altitude was not a minimum and maximum, simply a minimum. If there were a maximum the letters, 'maximum' would be written above the altitude at fuelr.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CROSSES FUELR INTXN 1000 FT HIGH AT LAX.

Narrative: THE XING RESTR AT FUELR SHOWS 8000 FT. IT'S NOT REALLY CLR AS TO WHETHER YOU MUST BE ACTUALLY AT 8000 FT AT FUELR OR JUST AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DROP BELOW 8000 FT UNTIL AFTER YOU CROSS FUELR. WHAT THEY (ATC) REALLY WANTS IS THAT YOU MUST BE AT 8000 FT AT FUELR, NOT ABOVE AND NOT BELOW BUT EXACTLY AT 8000 FT. I CROSSED AT 9000 FT MSL. APPARENTLY THERE IS A VFR CORRIDOR NEAR THERE, THAT MAKES XING FUELR EXACTLY AT 8000 FT NECESSARY. I THINK A BETTER NOTATION ON THE APCH PLATE FOR FUELR SHOWING EXACTLY WHAT IS INTENDED WOULD HELP OUT A LOT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS INFORMED THAT THE XING ALT WAS NOT A MINIMUM AND MAX, SIMPLY A MINIMUM. IF THERE WERE A MAX THE LETTERS, 'MAX' WOULD BE WRITTEN ABOVE THE ALT AT FUELR.

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.