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An EMB120 captain, on approach to sbp, asked his first officer to brief the stepdowns. He received inaccurate information which caused ATC's low altitude alert to sound.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 479675 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200007 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sbp.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa.artcc tower : hou&.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : sbp.rwy 11 other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 9050 flight time type : 5100 |
| ASRS Report | 479675 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : msaw aircraft equipment : gpws other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
My first officer and I were flying the published ILS runway 11 approach to sbp. We briefed the approach on the descent, and I told the first officer to talk me through the altitude stepdowns on the approach. After passing frams intersection, I turned right to join the sbp localizer, maintaining 4000 ft. As we turned to join the localizer, the first officer said 'once established, we're good down to 2400 ft.' tracking the localizer, I started down from 4000 ft to 2400 ft. A min or 2 later, the center controller gave us a low altitude alert as we passed 3500 ft. We were VMC at the time and climbed back to 4000 ft. The problem was that we had descended too soon. We should have remained at 4000 ft until crossing crepe intersection, then descend to 2400 ft. The first officer failed to notice the restr on the chart, and I took his word for it that we were ok to descend. In the future, I won't take his word for it, but I'll actually look at the chart before starting down.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB120 CAPT, ON APCH TO SBP, ASKED HIS FO TO BRIEF THE STEPDOWNS. HE RECEIVED INACCURATE INFO WHICH CAUSED ATC'S LOW ALT ALERT TO SOUND.
Narrative: MY FO AND I WERE FLYING THE PUBLISHED ILS RWY 11 APCH TO SBP. WE BRIEFED THE APCH ON THE DSCNT, AND I TOLD THE FO TO TALK ME THROUGH THE ALT STEPDOWNS ON THE APCH. AFTER PASSING FRAMS INTXN, I TURNED R TO JOIN THE SBP LOC, MAINTAINING 4000 FT. AS WE TURNED TO JOIN THE LOC, THE FO SAID 'ONCE ESTABLISHED, WE'RE GOOD DOWN TO 2400 FT.' TRACKING THE LOC, I STARTED DOWN FROM 4000 FT TO 2400 FT. A MIN OR 2 LATER, THE CTR CTLR GAVE US A LOW ALT ALERT AS WE PASSED 3500 FT. WE WERE VMC AT THE TIME AND CLBED BACK TO 4000 FT. THE PROB WAS THAT WE HAD DSNDED TOO SOON. WE SHOULD HAVE REMAINED AT 4000 FT UNTIL XING CREPE INTXN, THEN DSND TO 2400 FT. THE FO FAILED TO NOTICE THE RESTR ON THE CHART, AND I TOOK HIS WORD FOR IT THAT WE WERE OK TO DSND. IN THE FUTURE, I WON'T TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT, BUT I'LL ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE CHART BEFORE STARTING DOWN.
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.