<< >> NASA ASRS Report 470787, April 2000

Military pilot of an F18 misunderstood descent altitude assignment causing overshoot from ARTCC airspace into approach control airspace without benefit of ATC coordination.

Attributes
ACN	470787
Time
Date	200004
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9400 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Hornet (F-18)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 4 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 9
ASRS Report	470787
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Military F18 was descending for practice approachs at NAS le moore. I cleared military to descend and maintain 16000 ft. When I observed military descending below 12000 ft, I reclred military to climb and maintain 12000 ft. Military entered fat approach airspace without coordination, reaching 9400 ft MSL. Factors: 1) military fgt mode C readout went to XXX during descent, showing FL189, then exactly 1 min later, 11700 ft. If I had had the interim altitudes, I could have caught the error before he entered fat approach airspace. 2) audio tape of the incident had me stating clearly 'descend and maintain one-six-thousand.' the pilot read back 'out of 19 for zero-six.' fighter pilots will acknowledge clrncs with just the flight number, so this sounded a lot like flight xx reporting out of FL190.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL PLT OF AN F18 MISUNDERSTOOD DSCNT ALT ASSIGNMENT CAUSING OVERSHOOT FROM ARTCC AIRSPACE INTO APCH CTL AIRSPACE WITHOUT BENEFIT OF ATC COORD.

Narrative: MIL F18 WAS DSNDING FOR PRACTICE APCHS AT NAS LE MOORE. I CLRED MIL TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT. WHEN I OBSERVED MIL DSNDING BELOW 12000 FT, I RECLRED MIL TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT. MIL ENTERED FAT APCH AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD, REACHING 9400 FT MSL. FACTORS: 1) MIL FGT MODE C READOUT WENT TO XXX DURING DSCNT, SHOWING FL189, THEN EXACTLY 1 MIN LATER, 11700 FT. IF I HAD HAD THE INTERIM ALTS, I COULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR BEFORE HE ENTERED FAT APCH AIRSPACE. 2) AUDIO TAPE OF THE INCIDENT HAD ME STATING CLRLY 'DSND AND MAINTAIN ONE-SIX-THOUSAND.' THE PLT READ BACK 'OUT OF 19 FOR ZERO-SIX.' FIGHTER PLTS WILL ACKNOWLEDGE CLRNCS WITH JUST THE FLT NUMBER, SO THIS SOUNDED A LOT LIKE FLT XX RPTING OUT OF FL190.

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.