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A B757-200 flight crew does not make their crossing altitude. ATC assigns a new crossing point after the flight crew deviation is noted.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 414360 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : slc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 19500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc artcc : zfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 8794 flight time type : 190 |
| ASRS Report | 414360 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| 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 other |
Narrative:
We were proceeding direct to the slc VOR from the west and ATC assigned a crossing restr to cross 40 mi west of the VOR at 17000 ft. I was the PNF and, therefore, talking on the radio. I responded back to ATC what I heard -- that was 17000 ft at 40 mi west of the VOR. Shortly after this, ATC called and assigned an airspeed of 250 KIAS at this same position. I read back the entire clearance to ATC ('cross 40 mi west of VOR at 17000 ft at 250 KIAS'). I recall the captain reading the clearance out loud as he began to program the FMS. I believe that ATC was also talking to another aircraft and with all the chatter, I didn't hear verbatim what the captain had said. He had understood our clearance for 17000 ft, 250 KIAS to be at the 20 DME fix, not the 40 mi fix. This all came to light as we were descending through approximately FL190 and ATC called and said we 'had missed the 40 mi fix, and could we make it by 20.' I responded 'yes.' at this point I looked at the FMS legs page and saw that the captain had a 20 mi fix for the altitude/airspeed restr. A jump seat rider also understood the assigned fix to be the 20 DME fix, not the 40. Basically, I heard '40,' ATC assigned '40,' and the captain and jump seat heard '20.' ATC had earlier said that my xmissions were kind of broken and weak. But even with that the captain and observer understood ATC to have said 20 DME. It is a bit confusing, but I believe that situational awareness was broken in that I didn't look at the legs page to verify what the captain had entered concerning our crossing restr. I also found some dirt in the microphone on my boom microphone. After I cleaned the dirt out the next leg, my microphone was loud and clear. Had my earlier transmission to ATC regards the crossing and airspeed restr been loud and clear, the captain may have heard my readback of '40 DME' and the situation would not have happened. There had also been some conversation in the cockpit with the jump seat rider while in cruise. This may also have added into the equation of reduced situational awareness.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200 FLC DOES NOT MAKE THEIR XING ALT. ATC ASSIGNS A NEW XING POINT AFTER THE FLC DEV IS NOTED.
Narrative: WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO THE SLC VOR FROM THE W AND ATC ASSIGNED A XING RESTR TO CROSS 40 MI W OF THE VOR AT 17000 FT. I WAS THE PNF AND, THEREFORE, TALKING ON THE RADIO. I RESPONDED BACK TO ATC WHAT I HEARD -- THAT WAS 17000 FT AT 40 MI W OF THE VOR. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, ATC CALLED AND ASSIGNED AN AIRSPD OF 250 KIAS AT THIS SAME POS. I READ BACK THE ENTIRE CLRNC TO ATC ('CROSS 40 MI W OF VOR AT 17000 FT AT 250 KIAS'). I RECALL THE CAPT READING THE CLRNC OUT LOUD AS HE BEGAN TO PROGRAM THE FMS. I BELIEVE THAT ATC WAS ALSO TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT AND WITH ALL THE CHATTER, I DIDN'T HEAR VERBATIM WHAT THE CAPT HAD SAID. HE HAD UNDERSTOOD OUR CLRNC FOR 17000 FT, 250 KIAS TO BE AT THE 20 DME FIX, NOT THE 40 MI FIX. THIS ALL CAME TO LIGHT AS WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH APPROX FL190 AND ATC CALLED AND SAID WE 'HAD MISSED THE 40 MI FIX, AND COULD WE MAKE IT BY 20.' I RESPONDED 'YES.' AT THIS POINT I LOOKED AT THE FMS LEGS PAGE AND SAW THAT THE CAPT HAD A 20 MI FIX FOR THE ALT/AIRSPD RESTR. A JUMP SEAT RIDER ALSO UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNED FIX TO BE THE 20 DME FIX, NOT THE 40. BASICALLY, I HEARD '40,' ATC ASSIGNED '40,' AND THE CAPT AND JUMP SEAT HEARD '20.' ATC HAD EARLIER SAID THAT MY XMISSIONS WERE KIND OF BROKEN AND WEAK. BUT EVEN WITH THAT THE CAPT AND OBSERVER UNDERSTOOD ATC TO HAVE SAID 20 DME. IT IS A BIT CONFUSING, BUT I BELIEVE THAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS BROKEN IN THAT I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE LEGS PAGE TO VERIFY WHAT THE CAPT HAD ENTERED CONCERNING OUR XING RESTR. I ALSO FOUND SOME DIRT IN THE MIKE ON MY BOOM MIKE. AFTER I CLEANED THE DIRT OUT THE NEXT LEG, MY MIKE WAS LOUD AND CLR. HAD MY EARLIER XMISSION TO ATC REGARDS THE XING AND AIRSPD RESTR BEEN LOUD AND CLR, THE CAPT MAY HAVE HEARD MY READBACK OF '40 DME' AND THE SIT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THERE HAD ALSO BEEN SOME CONVERSATION IN THE COCKPIT WITH THE JUMP SEAT RIDER WHILE IN CRUISE. THIS MAY ALSO HAVE ADDED INTO THE EQUATION OF REDUCED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
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.