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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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First officer of a canadair CL600 descended below assigned transition altitude during vector to final approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 474040 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : l30.tracon tower : iad.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Challenger CL600 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 25l other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 2925 |
| ASRS Report | 474040 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approaching las just after XA00 on may/xa/00, we were vectored toward tiffy, an outer approach fix for runway 25L, cleared for the ILS and instructed to maintain 8000 ft until crossing tiffy. Subsequently, we reported the runway in sight and were cleared for a visual to runway 25L. My first officer, who was flying, continued a slight descent. We were slightly below 8000 ft as we crossed abeam the tiffy fix, as he was angling more directly to the runway by now. The controller then queried us as to why we had descended below 8000 ft. I'm submitting because I'm not sure if we were in violation of airspace. We should have continued to remain within class B airspace, by my reckoning, based on the DME's of the segments in relation to tiffy. However, at that point it was past XB00 by our body clocks. We had started the day in bgr with a late evening departure, but hadn't been able to nap that afternoon, as planned, due to an aerobatic show performing right over the hotel during air show there and the hotel requesting us to depart 1 hour earlier than planned due to roads clogged with air show traffic. We were both feeling the effects of needing sleep and possibly did not recognize the necessity to maintain the 8000 ft (if, indeed, it was necessary) after being cleared for the visual.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF A CANADAIR CL600 DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED TRANSITION ALT DURING VECTOR TO FINAL APCH.
Narrative: APCHING LAS JUST AFTER XA00 ON MAY/XA/00, WE WERE VECTORED TOWARD TIFFY, AN OUTER APCH FIX FOR RWY 25L, CLRED FOR THE ILS AND INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT UNTIL XING TIFFY. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 25L. MY FO, WHO WAS FLYING, CONTINUED A SLIGHT DSCNT. WE WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW 8000 FT AS WE CROSSED ABEAM THE TIFFY FIX, AS HE WAS ANGLING MORE DIRECTLY TO THE RWY BY NOW. THE CTLR THEN QUERIED US AS TO WHY WE HAD DSNDED BELOW 8000 FT. I'M SUBMITTING BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF AIRSPACE. WE SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO REMAIN WITHIN CLASS B AIRSPACE, BY MY RECKONING, BASED ON THE DME'S OF THE SEGMENTS IN RELATION TO TIFFY. HOWEVER, AT THAT POINT IT WAS PAST XB00 BY OUR BODY CLOCKS. WE HAD STARTED THE DAY IN BGR WITH A LATE EVENING DEP, BUT HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO NAP THAT AFTERNOON, AS PLANNED, DUE TO AN AEROBATIC SHOW PERFORMING RIGHT OVER THE HOTEL DURING AIR SHOW THERE AND THE HOTEL REQUESTING US TO DEPART 1 HR EARLIER THAN PLANNED DUE TO ROADS CLOGGED WITH AIR SHOW TFC. WE WERE BOTH FEELING THE EFFECTS OF NEEDING SLEEP AND POSSIBLY DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE NECESSITY TO MAINTAIN THE 8000 FT (IF, INDEED, IT WAS NECESSARY) AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL.
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.