 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A pilot of an air ambulance on radar vectors near stp, descends below assigned altitude and lost obstruction clearance separation. ARTCC intervention returned aircraft to assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 425479 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3200 msl bound upper : 3700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 252 |
| ASRS Report | 425479 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified atc |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was being vectored into stp on a heading of 090 degrees when center told me to turn to heading of 140 degrees. I had just descended out of 5000 ft MSL to 3700 ft at time of the request to turn. As I turned to 140 degrees, I saw an antenna farm at my 12 O'clock position (heading 140 degrees). I requested a 160 degree heading to avoid antennas. Approach told me I'm 1000 ft above them. I wasn't. Then approach told me I should be at 3700 ft and to climb to 3700 ft. I then realized I had drifted down to 3200 ft MSL. I initiated an immediate climb to 3700 ft. I believe the contributing factors to be a lack of attention to altitude because I was in the middle of doing a descent checklist and an approach checklist plus trying to reach the FBO to acknowledge we had an ambulance waiting for our patient. I feel that when I approached the antennas in this report, I was not 1000 ft above them. In my better judgement of safety, I felt the turn to a heading of 160 degrees was more appropriate for safety.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PLT OF AN AIR AMBULANCE ON RADAR VECTORS NEAR STP, DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT AND LOST OBSTRUCTION CLRNC SEPARATION. ARTCC INTERVENTION RETURNED ACFT TO ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: I WAS BEING VECTORED INTO STP ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS WHEN CTR TOLD ME TO TURN TO HDG OF 140 DEGS. I HAD JUST DSNDED OUT OF 5000 FT MSL TO 3700 FT AT TIME OF THE REQUEST TO TURN. AS I TURNED TO 140 DEGS, I SAW AN ANTENNA FARM AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS (HDG 140 DEGS). I REQUESTED A 160 DEG HDG TO AVOID ANTENNAS. APCH TOLD ME I'M 1000 FT ABOVE THEM. I WASN'T. THEN APCH TOLD ME I SHOULD BE AT 3700 FT AND TO CLB TO 3700 FT. I THEN REALIZED I HAD DRIFTED DOWN TO 3200 FT MSL. I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 3700 FT. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO BE A LACK OF ATTN TO ALT BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING A DSCNT CHKLIST AND AN APCH CHKLIST PLUS TRYING TO REACH THE FBO TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAD AN AMBULANCE WAITING FOR OUR PATIENT. I FEEL THAT WHEN I APCHED THE ANTENNAS IN THIS RPT, I WAS NOT 1000 FT ABOVE THEM. IN MY BETTER JUDGEMENT OF SAFETY, I FELT THE TURN TO A HDG OF 160 DEGS WAS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR SAFETY.
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.