 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An mdt flying in ZLA, ca, airspace has a different understanding of what his cleared altitude is than what ZLA thinks it should be.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 380170 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bld |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| 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 |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 2900 |
| ASRS Report | 380170 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Upon our initial climb for the peach springs transition, I requested to my first officer to make a request for 11000 ft as our final altitude (we usually fly the route at 15000 ft). He made the request and las departure cleared us for a final altitude of 11000 ft. We leveled off at 11000 ft and proceeded outbound on the peach spring transition. We were handed off to ZLA (124.2) and my first officer reported us as level at 11000 ft and made the usual request for a short cut after kaddy intersection. ZLA acknowledged our request for the routing but I am not sure if he acknowledged our altitude at all. Just prior to reaching kaddy intersection at 28 DME, the controller inquired why we were not climbing to 15000 ft. My first officer replied that it was our assigned final altitude. The controller then replied very sarcastically, 'I wish you would tell me that before you did it.' at this point, I felt an explanatory reply would benefit the situation and explained to the controller that las departure had given us 11000 ft as our requested final altitude and if there was a misunderstanding between us, we offered our apology. The controller snapped back with 'it's your fault -- you call them.' with his last reply still smoldering in my ears, I felt it was best to resolve this problem once on the ground. We continued to our destination (gcn) and just prior to being handed off to gcn tower, I asked if calling him on the phone after we landed would be of any help. Once again, the controller flared back with a stern 'no.'
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MDT FLYING IN ZLA, CA, AIRSPACE HAS A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HIS CLRED ALT IS THAN WHAT ZLA THINKS IT SHOULD BE.
Narrative: UPON OUR INITIAL CLB FOR THE PEACH SPRINGS TRANSITION, I REQUESTED TO MY FO TO MAKE A REQUEST FOR 11000 FT AS OUR FINAL ALT (WE USUALLY FLY THE RTE AT 15000 FT). HE MADE THE REQUEST AND LAS DEP CLRED US FOR A FINAL ALT OF 11000 FT. WE LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT AND PROCEEDED OUTBOUND ON THE PEACH SPRING TRANSITION. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZLA (124.2) AND MY FO RPTED US AS LEVEL AT 11000 FT AND MADE THE USUAL REQUEST FOR A SHORT CUT AFTER KADDY INTXN. ZLA ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST FOR THE ROUTING BUT I AM NOT SURE IF HE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR ALT AT ALL. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING KADDY INTXN AT 28 DME, THE CTLR INQUIRED WHY WE WERE NOT CLBING TO 15000 FT. MY FO REPLIED THAT IT WAS OUR ASSIGNED FINAL ALT. THE CTLR THEN REPLIED VERY SARCASTICALLY, 'I WISH YOU WOULD TELL ME THAT BEFORE YOU DID IT.' AT THIS POINT, I FELT AN EXPLANATORY REPLY WOULD BENEFIT THE SIT AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT LAS DEP HAD GIVEN US 11000 FT AS OUR REQUESTED FINAL ALT AND IF THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN US, WE OFFERED OUR APOLOGY. THE CTLR SNAPPED BACK WITH 'IT'S YOUR FAULT -- YOU CALL THEM.' WITH HIS LAST REPLY STILL SMOLDERING IN MY EARS, I FELT IT WAS BEST TO RESOLVE THIS PROB ONCE ON THE GND. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST (GCN) AND JUST PRIOR TO BEING HANDED OFF TO GCN TWR, I ASKED IF CALLING HIM ON THE PHONE AFTER WE LANDED WOULD BE OF ANY HELP. ONCE AGAIN, THE CTLR FLARED BACK WITH A STERN 'NO.'
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.