37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 357525 |
Time | |
Date | 199701 |
Day | Fri |
Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : rdu |
State Reference | NC |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 3200 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | IMC |
Light | Night |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : rdu tower : sfo |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach |
Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute : on vectors |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5800 |
ASRS Report | 357525 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Events | |
Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other other |
Consequence | Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While being vectored for an ILS runway 23R rdu we were given a descent to 2200 ft which I as the PNF acknowledged. The captain repeated our clearance to me and began descending. However, at 2700 ft he informed me he would like to level at a higher altitude (apparently he wasn't comfortable with 2200 ft because he was unfamiliar with the terrain). I told him I would request a higher altitude, but he instructed me not to do that, it would just be a temporary leveloff. He then began a climb to 3000 ft while intercepting the localizer. I told him he was climbing and he began correcting. The GS became active and for some reason the autoplt began climbing toward the GS. We climbed to 3200 ft at which point I again informed the captain of the altitude and he said the autoplt was screwing up and he would allow it to fly the GS now that we had captured it. Rdu tower brought our altitude to our attention and there apparently was no problem with other aircraft. This occurred after 8.7 hours of flying time and at the end of a 15 hour duty day with 5 flts. I should have been more aggressive in informing the captain with the fact that I was uncomfortable with his decision to level at an altitude above our issued altitude. Also I should have just informed ATC regardless of the captain's desires.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PLT WHO WANTS TO FLY A HIGHER INITIAL APCH ALT DOES SO WITH THE IDEA THE HIGHER ALT WILL GIVE HIM BETTER TERRAIN CLRNC ON THE ILS INTO RDU, NC.
Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 23R RDU WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 2200 FT WHICH I AS THE PNF ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CAPT REPEATED OUR CLRNC TO ME AND BEGAN DSNDING. HOWEVER, AT 2700 FT HE INFORMED ME HE WOULD LIKE TO LEVEL AT A HIGHER ALT (APPARENTLY HE WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH 2200 FT BECAUSE HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN). I TOLD HIM I WOULD REQUEST A HIGHER ALT, BUT HE INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO DO THAT, IT WOULD JUST BE A TEMPORARY LEVELOFF. HE THEN BEGAN A CLB TO 3000 FT WHILE INTERCEPTING THE LOC. I TOLD HIM HE WAS CLBING AND HE BEGAN CORRECTING. THE GS BECAME ACTIVE AND FOR SOME REASON THE AUTOPLT BEGAN CLBING TOWARD THE GS. WE CLBED TO 3200 FT AT WHICH POINT I AGAIN INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE ALT AND HE SAID THE AUTOPLT WAS SCREWING UP AND HE WOULD ALLOW IT TO FLY THE GS NOW THAT WE HAD CAPTURED IT. RDU TWR BROUGHT OUR ALT TO OUR ATTN AND THERE APPARENTLY WAS NO PROB WITH OTHER ACFT. THIS OCCURRED AFTER 8.7 HRS OF FLYING TIME AND AT THE END OF A 15 HR DUTY DAY WITH 5 FLTS. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN INFORMING THE CAPT WITH THE FACT THAT I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS DECISION TO LEVEL AT AN ALT ABOVE OUR ISSUED ALT. ALSO I SHOULD HAVE JUST INFORMED ATC REGARDLESS OF THE CAPT'S DESIRES.
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.