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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An air carrier L1011 flight crew started descent prematurely when the captain thought that a clearance to follow a STAR route also included a clearance to descend. The ARTCC controller corrected him.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 377259 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mod |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29500 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | L-1011 Tri-Star All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute : direct enroute airway : zoa |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 377259 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2400 |
| ASRS Report | 377265 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
En route to sfo at FL310, flight was given several vectors and speed changes for sfo arrival. While over the yosemite valley area, center cleared flight direct to modesto, modesto arrival. As turn to modesto was being made, the descent high on the FMS began flashing which had been programmed for a cedes crossing at 11000 ft and 250 KTS. Began descent and called center to report descent. Center said descent clearance had not been given. Immediately began climb back to FL310. Center then cleared us down to FL240. Began descent to FL240. Factors that affected flight: had flown lax (civet profiles) month before. The descent light coming on at the same time clearance for modesto arrival was given caused a link up in my mind. Supplemental information from acn 377265: flight atl-sfo. Captain began descent for modesto 2 arrival prematurely. First officer had just returned to the flight deck when the captain began the descent thinking his clearance for the modesto 2 arrival also included his clearance to descend to 11000 ft. ZOA called (aircraft at FL295) and we began a climb back to FL310. ZOA came back and cleared us FL240. I was performing training for a new so (discussing operational data manual brake energy units) and did not catch the mistake.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR L1011 FLC STARTED DSCNT PREMATURELY WHEN THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT A CLRNC TO FOLLOW A STAR RTE ALSO INCLUDED A CLRNC TO DSND. THE ARTCC CTLR CORRECTED HIM.
Narrative: ENRTE TO SFO AT FL310, FLT WAS GIVEN SEVERAL VECTORS AND SPD CHANGES FOR SFO ARR. WHILE OVER THE YOSEMITE VALLEY AREA, CTR CLRED FLT DIRECT TO MODESTO, MODESTO ARR. AS TURN TO MODESTO WAS BEING MADE, THE DSCNT HIGH ON THE FMS BEGAN FLASHING WHICH HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED FOR A CEDES XING AT 11000 FT AND 250 KTS. BEGAN DSCNT AND CALLED CTR TO RPT DSCNT. CTR SAID DSCNT CLRNC HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN. IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CLB BACK TO FL310. CTR THEN CLRED US DOWN TO FL240. BEGAN DSCNT TO FL240. FACTORS THAT AFFECTED FLT: HAD FLOWN LAX (CIVET PROFILES) MONTH BEFORE. THE DSCNT LIGHT COMING ON AT THE SAME TIME CLRNC FOR MODESTO ARR WAS GIVEN CAUSED A LINK UP IN MY MIND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 377265: FLT ATL-SFO. CAPT BEGAN DSCNT FOR MODESTO 2 ARR PREMATURELY. FO HAD JUST RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK WHEN THE CAPT BEGAN THE DSCNT THINKING HIS CLRNC FOR THE MODESTO 2 ARR ALSO INCLUDED HIS CLRNC TO DSND TO 11000 FT. ZOA CALLED (ACFT AT FL295) AND WE BEGAN A CLB BACK TO FL310. ZOA CAME BACK AND CLRED US FL240. I WAS PERFORMING TRAINING FOR A NEW SO (DISCUSSING OPERATIONAL DATA MANUAL BRAKE ENERGY UNITS) AND DID NOT CATCH THE MISTAKE.
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.