<< >> NASA ASRS Report 454200, October 1999

Captain of a B727-200 undershot altitude crossing restr during descent due to a late descent clearance.

Attributes
ACN	454200
Time
Date	199910
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	454200
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
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were told to cross 40 mi north of stonewall at FL230, as I can recall, or something close to that. I read back the clearance as the PNF set the altitude alert and waited for the captain to point at the altitude in the window. We were given the clearance late, so the captain went to idle and added the speed brakes to make the crossing. I looked at my chart and when I looked back, he had leveled 1000 ft above our clearance altitude. By the time I said something, it was too late. Center never said anything, but handed us off. I believe what happened was that we were supposed to make a crossing and then cleared to a lower altitude. Company procedure is to set the lowest altitude when descending, remembering the first clearance mentally. The crossing did not include an intersection, so there was literally nothing to back it up. I guess the moral would be to always watch the last 1000 ft to make sure the PF complies. Another case of higher workload in the descent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727-200 UNDERSHOT ALT XING RESTR DURING DSCNT DUE TO A LATE DSCNT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS 40 MI N OF STONEWALL AT FL230, AS I CAN RECALL, OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO THAT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS THE PNF SET THE ALT ALERT AND WAITED FOR THE CAPT TO POINT AT THE ALT IN THE WINDOW. WE WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC LATE, SO THE CAPT WENT TO IDLE AND ADDED THE SPD BRAKES TO MAKE THE XING. I LOOKED AT MY CHART AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK, HE HAD LEVELED 1000 FT ABOVE OUR CLRNC ALT. BY THE TIME I SAID SOMETHING, IT WAS TOO LATE. CTR NEVER SAID ANYTHING, BUT HANDED US OFF. I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MAKE A XING AND THEN CLRED TO A LOWER ALT. COMPANY PROC IS TO SET THE LOWEST ALT WHEN DSNDING, REMEMBERING THE FIRST CLRNC MENTALLY. THE XING DID NOT INCLUDE AN INTXN, SO THERE WAS LITERALLY NOTHING TO BACK IT UP. I GUESS THE MORAL WOULD BE TO ALWAYS WATCH THE LAST 1000 FT TO MAKE SURE THE PF COMPLIES. ANOTHER CASE OF HIGHER WORKLOAD IN 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.