<< >> NASA ASRS Report 420656, November 1998

B737 crew misses crossing altitude during descent in ZLC airspace.

Attributes
ACN	420656
Time
Date	199811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : byi
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc tower : mio
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	420656
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	420240
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Routine flight pdx-slc at FL370. We were cleared to cross effta on the bearr 3 arrival at FL270. Shortly afterward, we were given a frequency change. We made 2 xmissions with neither being acknowledged, nor did we hear any other xmissions on the frequency. We became preoccupied over whether we had copied the frequency correctly and temporarily forgot about the crossing clearance. We eventually re-established contact with the original frequency. We were told that we had copied the new frequency correctly and to continue trying. We were then asked if we were going to make our crossing restr. We realized that we had allowed ourselves to become distraction. We started down immediately. We were in VMC conditions the entire time with no conflict with other traffic and no traffic indicated on TCASII. We descended at the maximum rate, missing our crossing point by approximately 10 mi. We were in communication with the new frequency during the descent.

Related reports:

• A-320 misses crossing altitude restr on descent.
• 737 on descent misses crossing restr.
• MD90 crew misses crossing restr on descent in ZLC airspace.
• Large transport misses crossing restr on descent.
• B727 misses crossing restr on descent for arrival.
• C525 crew misses crossing at swirl on descent into sdl.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW MISSES XING ALT DURING DSCNT IN ZLC AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ROUTINE FLT PDX-SLC AT FL370. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS EFFTA ON THE BEARR 3 ARR AT FL270. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE. WE MADE 2 XMISSIONS WITH NEITHER BEING ACKNOWLEDGED, NOR DID WE HEAR ANY OTHER XMISSIONS ON THE FREQ. WE BECAME PREOCCUPIED OVER WHETHER WE HAD COPIED THE FREQ CORRECTLY AND TEMPORARILY FORGOT ABOUT THE XING CLRNC. WE EVENTUALLY RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE ORIGINAL FREQ. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD COPIED THE NEW FREQ CORRECTLY AND TO CONTINUE TRYING. WE WERE THEN ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE OUR XING RESTR. WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BECOME DISTR. WE STARTED DOWN IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS THE ENTIRE TIME WITH NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC AND NO TFC INDICATED ON TCASII. WE DSNDED AT THE MAX RATE, MISSING OUR XING POINT BY APPROX 10 MI. WE WERE IN COM WITH THE NEW FREQ DURING THE DSCNT.

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.