 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A private AC6T flight crew descended below their assigned altitude and triggered a low altitude warning in the roa tower. The ATCT local controller reacted properly and warned the flight crew, through approach control, who recovered.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 386334 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : roa |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3300 msl bound upper : 3800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : roa tower : roa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Turbo Commander 690C |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 386334 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After passing lynchburg VOR we were descended to 10000 ft and given a vector towards the final approach course for the ILS runway 33 into roa. We were traveling at approximately 230 KTS. During this process the directional gyro on my side of the cockpit failed and captain was trying to diagnose the problem. At about this time, we were advised to descend and maintain 3800 ft, which is the MVA for that sector. Our descent was delayed somewhat so we were descending fairly rapidly while trying to diagnose the directional gyro problem and join the localizer. Unfortunately, I failed to arrest the descent at 3800 ft and we were called by the roa tower upon reaching approximately 3300 ft. We were advised that the tower was receiving a low altitude alert and we were advised to climb immediately, which we did. The remainder of the flight proceeded uneventfully. I attributed this problem to being distraction and my inattentiveness to maintaining an assigned altitude. I am constantly preaching to everyone that rules 1- 10 are 'fly the airplane first' and I simply failed to follow my own rules. I should have paid more attention to simply flying the airplane and allowing captain to work out the problems. This is simply a pilot error situation due to distraction. Fortunately, roa is an excellent ATC facility. They quickly caught our altitude and gave us an immediate climb. I sincerely believe I would have caught the altitude within the next few seconds, once my scan went back to the altimeter. Unfortunately, our rate of descent was greater than 2500 FPM which allowed for very little deviation time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PVT AC6T FLC DSNDED BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED ALT AND TRIGGERED A LOW ALT WARNING IN THE ROA TWR. THE ATCT LCL CTLR REACTED PROPERLY AND WARNED THE FLC, THROUGH APCH CTL, WHO RECOVERED.
Narrative: AFTER PASSING LYNCHBURG VOR WE WERE DSNDED TO 10000 FT AND GIVEN A VECTOR TOWARDS THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE ILS RWY 33 INTO ROA. WE WERE TRAVELING AT APPROX 230 KTS. DURING THIS PROCESS THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO ON MY SIDE OF THE COCKPIT FAILED AND CAPT WAS TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROB. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, WE WERE ADVISED TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 3800 FT, WHICH IS THE MVA FOR THAT SECTOR. OUR DSCNT WAS DELAYED SOMEWHAT SO WE WERE DSNDING FAIRLY RAPIDLY WHILE TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO PROB AND JOIN THE LOC. UNFORTUNATELY, I FAILED TO ARREST THE DSCNT AT 3800 FT AND WE WERE CALLED BY THE ROA TWR UPON REACHING APPROX 3300 FT. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE TWR WAS RECEIVING A LOW ALT ALERT AND WE WERE ADVISED TO CLB IMMEDIATELY, WHICH WE DID. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. I ATTRIBUTED THIS PROB TO BEING DISTR AND MY INATTENTIVENESS TO MAINTAINING AN ASSIGNED ALT. I AM CONSTANTLY PREACHING TO EVERYONE THAT RULES 1- 10 ARE 'FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST' AND I SIMPLY FAILED TO FOLLOW MY OWN RULES. I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO SIMPLY FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND ALLOWING CAPT TO WORK OUT THE PROBS. THIS IS SIMPLY A PLT ERROR SIT DUE TO DISTR. FORTUNATELY, ROA IS AN EXCELLENT ATC FACILITY. THEY QUICKLY CAUGHT OUR ALT AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE CLB. I SINCERELY BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ALT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS, ONCE MY SCAN WENT BACK TO THE ALTIMETER. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR RATE OF DSCNT WAS GREATER THAN 2500 FPM WHICH ALLOWED FOR VERY LITTLE DEV TIME.
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.