Altitude confusion on the olympia arrival to boeing field, wa.

Attributes
ACN	471121
Time
Date	200004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : olm.vortac
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14500 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Skyhawk (A4)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : olm.olm2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 189 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	471121
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach cleared us for the olympia arrival and to comply with the altitude restrs. Landing south, cross olm at 16000 ft, landing north, cross at 12000 ft. ATIS (bfi) had traffic landing runway 13L&right. I misinterped north and south and started a descent. ATC advised us that we were to cross olm at or above 15000 ft. We had gotten down to 14500 ft then returned to 16000 ft. No further incident occurred, no other traffic involved. Contributing factor was to expect the 'harbor visual.' I got too involved looking for this procedure and not paying attention to the arrival. The first officer was an IOE student. When cleared for the arrival, ATC could have told us to cross olm at 16000 ft. This would have alerted us to the proper procedures to follow. Multiple arrival procedures on the same arrival chart is like using multiple runways -- it's an accident waiting to happen.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT CONFUSION ON THE OLYMPIA ARR TO BOEING FIELD, WA.

Narrative: APCH CLRED US FOR THE OLYMPIA ARR AND TO COMPLY WITH THE ALT RESTRS. LNDG S, CROSS OLM AT 16000 FT, LNDG N, CROSS AT 12000 FT. ATIS (BFI) HAD TFC LNDG RWY 13L&R. I MISINTERPED N AND S AND STARTED A DSCNT. ATC ADVISED US THAT WE WERE TO CROSS OLM AT OR ABOVE 15000 FT. WE HAD GOTTEN DOWN TO 14500 FT THEN RETURNED TO 16000 FT. NO FURTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED, NO OTHER TFC INVOLVED. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS TO EXPECT THE 'HARBOR VISUAL.' I GOT TOO INVOLVED LOOKING FOR THIS PROC AND NOT PAYING ATTN TO THE ARR. THE FO WAS AN IOE STUDENT. WHEN CLRED FOR THE ARR, ATC COULD HAVE TOLD US TO CROSS OLM AT 16000 FT. THIS WOULD HAVE ALERTED US TO THE PROPER PROCS TO FOLLOW. MULTIPLE ARR PROCS ON THE SAME ARR CHART IS LIKE USING MULTIPLE RWYS -- IT'S AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

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.