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A DC10-30 ferry flight overshoots its assigned altitude during a transition altitude procedural climb in foreign airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 430393 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : egtt.artcc |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : egtt.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 30F |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors departure sid : sam 2 enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : egtt.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 26 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 430393 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 430379 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to original clearance flight crew : became reoriented |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Gatwick altimeter 987 MB. After clearance from 4000 ft to FL100, a frequency change was given. The new frequency was blocked and continuous attempts at establishing contact were thwarted. This caused a missed altimeter changeover at 6000 ft. A TA was issued of traffic at FL110, 12 O'clock. Approaching 10000 ft, we recognized our altimeter setting, reset altimeters and began a correction to FL100. TCASII issued a TA, then RA. Closest altitude on TCASII noted was 700 ft and 1/2 mi offset. No other mention of the conflict was made. Low altitude altimeter changeovers that occur at busy departure times are dangerous. Supplemental information from acn 430379: ATC called as the altitude excursion occurred and asked us to check our altimeter setting and advised us that we were close to the other aircraft. We were too focused on making radio contact. The low transition altitude in use in the united kingdom and the rest of europe is also a problem for us as we are more used to the FL180 level in the united states as transition altitude. Another factor is the poor quality of the united kingdom controller equipment. Most xmissions have an 'echo' and it's hard to understand their instructions at times with the backgnd noise present.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC10-30 FERRY FLT OVERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED ALT DURING A TRANSITION ALT PROCEDURAL CLB IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.
Narrative: GATWICK ALTIMETER 987 MB. AFTER CLRNC FROM 4000 FT TO FL100, A FREQ CHANGE WAS GIVEN. THE NEW FREQ WAS BLOCKED AND CONTINUOUS ATTEMPTS AT ESTABLISHING CONTACT WERE THWARTED. THIS CAUSED A MISSED ALTIMETER CHANGEOVER AT 6000 FT. A TA WAS ISSUED OF TFC AT FL110, 12 O'CLOCK. APCHING 10000 FT, WE RECOGNIZED OUR ALTIMETER SETTING, RESET ALTIMETERS AND BEGAN A CORRECTION TO FL100. TCASII ISSUED A TA, THEN RA. CLOSEST ALT ON TCASII NOTED WAS 700 FT AND 1/2 MI OFFSET. NO OTHER MENTION OF THE CONFLICT WAS MADE. LOW ALT ALTIMETER CHANGEOVERS THAT OCCUR AT BUSY DEP TIMES ARE DANGEROUS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430379: ATC CALLED AS THE ALT EXCURSION OCCURRED AND ASKED US TO CHK OUR ALTIMETER SETTING AND ADVISED US THAT WE WERE CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT. WE WERE TOO FOCUSED ON MAKING RADIO CONTACT. THE LOW TRANSITION ALT IN USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE REST OF EUROPE IS ALSO A PROB FOR US AS WE ARE MORE USED TO THE FL180 LEVEL IN THE UNITED STATES AS TRANSITION ALT. ANOTHER FACTOR IS THE POOR QUALITY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM CTLR EQUIP. MOST XMISSIONS HAVE AN 'ECHO' AND IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AT TIMES WITH THE BACKGND NOISE PRESENT.
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.