 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B727 flight crew deviation. Altitude deviation altitude excursion while awaiting clearance for a visual approach to las.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 360660 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5650 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : las tower : aus |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 107 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 360660 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Unusually strong winds out of the north provided my first landing on runway 1. Cleared to 6000 ft (radar vectors) on a right base leg which kept us high and took us over a smaller airport from which we could see an airplane taking off. I was asking the first officer to get clearance for the visual, I was looking for the aircraft underneath us, and (at the same time) a flight attendant opened the door to ask if we wanted any coffee before she emptied the pot. While responding to all these inputs, I inadvertently descended to 5650 ft MSL. No altitude alert sounded in cockpit. I immediately climbed to 6000 ft MSL, accepted visual, and landed. Have rededicated self to notion of flying airplane first, and all else second.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 FLC DEV. ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION WHILE AWAITING CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH TO LAS.
Narrative: UNUSUALLY STRONG WINDS OUT OF THE N PROVIDED MY FIRST LNDG ON RWY 1. CLRED TO 6000 FT (RADAR VECTORS) ON A R BASE LEG WHICH KEPT US HIGH AND TOOK US OVER A SMALLER ARPT FROM WHICH WE COULD SEE AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF. I WAS ASKING THE FO TO GET CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL, I WAS LOOKING FOR THE ACFT UNDERNEATH US, AND (AT THE SAME TIME) A FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE DOOR TO ASK IF WE WANTED ANY COFFEE BEFORE SHE EMPTIED THE POT. WHILE RESPONDING TO ALL THESE INPUTS, I INADVERTENTLY DSNDED TO 5650 FT MSL. NO ALT ALERT SOUNDED IN COCKPIT. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 6000 FT MSL, ACCEPTED VISUAL, AND LANDED. HAVE REDEDICATED SELF TO NOTION OF FLYING AIRPLANE FIRST, AND ALL ELSE SECOND.
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.