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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A B727 air carrier freighter flight crew misinterpreted a clearance as being for them and selected 2000 ft as their assigned altitude as they descended on a STAR toward mem. Fortunately they were later assigned 2000 ft before descending below their previously cleared altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 374530 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 540 |
| ASRS Report | 374530 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2600 |
| ASRS Report | 374471 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
We were flying gilmore 1 approach to mem, first officer was flying. First officer began turn to 175 degrees at 10 DME from mem. Captain stated that the turn was to start at 8 DME. First officer said that he was leading the turn while he turned back direct to mem until 8 DME. Approach asked us to slow to 210 KTS. Captain noticed that altitude was set at 6000 ft. He then selected 2000 ft. After switching over to approach frequency and stating that we were out of 7000 ft descending to 2000 ft, approach confirmed that we were still cleared to 2000 ft. Now, while passing through 4000 ft, approach told us to descend and maintain 2000 ft. At this time we realized that we may not have been previously cleared to 2000 ft and may have gotten another aircraft's clearance confused with ours while we were working on our turn point problem and the speed reduction. Although it is no excuse for blowing a clearance, there are hundreds of flts into mem during this time frame with similar call signs which makes things very confusing if distraction only for an instant.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727 ACR FREIGHTER FLC MISINTERPRETED A CLRNC AS BEING FOR THEM AND SELECTED 2000 FT AS THEIR ASSIGNED ALT AS THEY DSNDED ON A STAR TOWARD MEM. FORTUNATELY THEY WERE LATER ASSIGNED 2000 FT BEFORE DSNDING BELOW THEIR PREVIOUSLY CLRED ALT.
Narrative: WE WERE FLYING GILMORE 1 APCH TO MEM, FO WAS FLYING. FO BEGAN TURN TO 175 DEGS AT 10 DME FROM MEM. CAPT STATED THAT THE TURN WAS TO START AT 8 DME. FO SAID THAT HE WAS LEADING THE TURN WHILE HE TURNED BACK DIRECT TO MEM UNTIL 8 DME. APCH ASKED US TO SLOW TO 210 KTS. CAPT NOTICED THAT ALT WAS SET AT 6000 FT. HE THEN SELECTED 2000 FT. AFTER SWITCHING OVER TO APCH FREQ AND STATING THAT WE WERE OUT OF 7000 FT DSNDING TO 2000 FT, APCH CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE STILL CLRED TO 2000 FT. NOW, WHILE PASSING THROUGH 4000 FT, APCH TOLD US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT. AT THIS TIME WE REALIZED THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO 2000 FT AND MAY HAVE GOTTEN ANOTHER ACFT'S CLRNC CONFUSED WITH OURS WHILE WE WERE WORKING ON OUR TURN POINT PROB AND THE SPD REDUCTION. ALTHOUGH IT IS NO EXCUSE FOR BLOWING A CLRNC, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FLTS INTO MEM DURING THIS TIME FRAME WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WHICH MAKES THINGS VERY CONFUSING IF DISTR ONLY FOR AN INSTANT.
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.