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First officer of a DC9 undershot descent assigned crossing altitude due to being distracted by WX avoidance. Frequency congestion blocked the crew's call to ATC to inform them of their failure to make the crossing restr.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 390929 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zme |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 10700 flight time type : 1875 |
| ASRS Report | 390929 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 11000 |
| ASRS Report | 391670 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Descending into mem on marvell arrival, we were told to cross tammy at 12000 ft. At the same time we were deviating around WX build-ups. At 50 DME, controller asked if we were going to make 12000 ft at tammy and we told him we thought so. We then called him back to say we might be high, but radio congestion prevented us from getting a response. He was very busy and our next attempt was blocked by other radio traffic. We crossed tammy at 12500 ft. Radio congestion prevented getting clearance prior to tammy.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF A DC9 UNDERSHOT DSCNT ASSIGNED XING ALT DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED BY WX AVOIDANCE. FREQ CONGESTION BLOCKED THE CREW'S CALL TO ATC TO INFORM THEM OF THEIR FAILURE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR.
Narrative: DSNDING INTO MEM ON MARVELL ARR, WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS TAMMY AT 12000 FT. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND WX BUILD-UPS. AT 50 DME, CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE 12000 FT AT TAMMY AND WE TOLD HIM WE THOUGHT SO. WE THEN CALLED HIM BACK TO SAY WE MIGHT BE HIGH, BUT RADIO CONGESTION PREVENTED US FROM GETTING A RESPONSE. HE WAS VERY BUSY AND OUR NEXT ATTEMPT WAS BLOCKED BY OTHER RADIO TFC. WE CROSSED TAMMY AT 12500 FT. RADIO CONGESTION PREVENTED GETTING CLRNC PRIOR TO TAMMY.
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.