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A BA3200 flight crew experiences an altitude deviation excursion while being vectored for the visual into lax. They were both looking for traffic affecting their sequence.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 384320 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199710 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sli airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4700 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 32 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 384320 |
| 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 other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were being vectored into the lax airport. We had the airport in sight and were descending. We needed to have visual contact with another aircraft to obtain our visual approach clearance. We had been cleared to 5000 ft. The other aircraft and ourselves were getting closer and closer, 3 NM. It was only at that point we had him in sight. During the moments of looking for the closing traffic we descended to 4700 ft MSL momentarily, then regained the altitude. At the same time we were cleared for the visual approach. We were both pre- occupied with the approaching visual traffic, which, given the excellent VFR visibility, we were concerned we could not see him. This combined with the expected visual clearance allowed us both to miss the altitude deviation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BA3200 FLC EXPERIENCES AN ALTDEV EXCURSION WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE VISUAL INTO LAX. THEY WERE BOTH LOOKING FOR TFC AFFECTING THEIR SEQUENCE.
Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED INTO THE LAX ARPT. WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE DSNDING. WE NEEDED TO HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ANOTHER ACFT TO OBTAIN OUR VISUAL APCH CLRNC. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 5000 FT. THE OTHER ACFT AND OURSELVES WERE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER, 3 NM. IT WAS ONLY AT THAT POINT WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT. DURING THE MOMENTS OF LOOKING FOR THE CLOSING TFC WE DSNDED TO 4700 FT MSL MOMENTARILY, THEN REGAINED THE ALT. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. WE WERE BOTH PRE- OCCUPIED WITH THE APCHING VISUAL TFC, WHICH, GIVEN THE EXCELLENT VFR VISIBILITY, WE WERE CONCERNED WE COULD NOT SEE HIM. THIS COMBINED WITH THE EXPECTED VISUAL CLRNC ALLOWED US BOTH TO MISS THE ALTDEV.
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.