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Flight crew of an large transport descended below assigned during a profile arrival descent. Their mistake was recognized and the aircraft returned to assigned until the next stepdown was indicated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 422410 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pdz |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15500 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zla |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 422410 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight in B727 cargo aircraft originated in cvg with a stop in phx. The crew began in bwi the night before at XX00. En route from phx to lax we were cleared initially for the paradise 2 arrival and then the civet 4 arrival. We were then switched back to the paradise arrival approaching tnp. We were cleared to join the arrival at approximately the arrud intersection at 17000 ft. Upon intercepting the radial, we began the profile descent to 16000 ft inside of konzl. After leveling at 16000 ft the controller cleared us for the profile descent. During the cockpit discussion as to whether we were cleared to descend or not, the PF descended inadvertently to 15500 ft. We noticed the deviation and immediately climbed back to 16000 ft and continued the descent to lax without further difficulties. The radio frequency was extremely busy. The crew was fatigued and the descent profile was complicated. Fatigue was the largest contributing factor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN LGT DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED DURING A PROFILE ARR DSCNT. THEIR MISTAKE WAS RECOGNIZED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO ASSIGNED UNTIL THE NEXT STEPDOWN WAS INDICATED.
Narrative: FLT IN B727 CARGO ACFT ORIGINATED IN CVG WITH A STOP IN PHX. THE CREW BEGAN IN BWI THE NIGHT BEFORE AT XX00. ENRTE FROM PHX TO LAX WE WERE CLRED INITIALLY FOR THE PARADISE 2 ARR AND THEN THE CIVET 4 ARR. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED BACK TO THE PARADISE ARR APCHING TNP. WE WERE CLRED TO JOIN THE ARR AT APPROX THE ARRUD INTXN AT 17000 FT. UPON INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL, WE BEGAN THE PROFILE DSCNT TO 16000 FT INSIDE OF KONZL. AFTER LEVELING AT 16000 FT THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE PROFILE DSCNT. DURING THE COCKPIT DISCUSSION AS TO WHETHER WE WERE CLRED TO DSND OR NOT, THE PF DSNDED INADVERTENTLY TO 15500 FT. WE NOTICED THE DEV AND IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 16000 FT AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO LAX WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTIES. THE RADIO FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. THE CREW WAS FATIGUED AND THE DSCNT PROFILE WAS COMPLICATED. FATIGUE WAS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
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.