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Captain of a B737-300 overshot crossing restr during a STAR arrival descent due to setting the next lower altitude crossing in the altitude alerter before the 'set' altitude had been crossed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 494260 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200012 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : las.vortac |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7200 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : l30.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : n/s |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20500 flight time type : 14000 |
| ASRS Report | 494260 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 494328 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Cleared to cross tiffy intersection at 8000 ft, then cleared the visual approach to runway 25L at las. Aircraft was on autoplt and I was flying. 8000 ft dialed in altitude window and we started our descent from 13000 ft. About 10 mi from tiffy I looked at the class B chart and determined that passing tiffy our next minimum altitude would be 6500 ft, the floor of the next inner ring of the class B airspace. Unfortunately I dialed 6500 ft in the altitude window of the autoplt. We therefore descended to about 7400 ft some 3 or 4 mi outside of tiffy before the altitude alerter sounded, alerting me to the mistake. With no VNAV on our aircraft we must constantly be on guard not to get ahead of the altitude cleared to, as I did in this case. Supplemental information from acn 494328: note that company procedures call for the PNF to set the alerter and had this procedure been followed there would not have been a problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF A B737-300 OVERSHOT XING RESTR DURING A STAR ARR DSCNT DUE TO SETTING THE NEXT LOWER ALT XING IN THE ALT ALERTER BEFORE THE 'SET' ALT HAD BEEN CROSSED.
Narrative: CLRED TO CROSS TIFFY INTXN AT 8000 FT, THEN CLRED THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25L AT LAS. ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT AND I WAS FLYING. 8000 FT DIALED IN ALT WINDOW AND WE STARTED OUR DSCNT FROM 13000 FT. ABOUT 10 MI FROM TIFFY I LOOKED AT THE CLASS B CHART AND DETERMINED THAT PASSING TIFFY OUR NEXT MINIMUM ALT WOULD BE 6500 FT, THE FLOOR OF THE NEXT INNER RING OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. UNFORTUNATELY I DIALED 6500 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW OF THE AUTOPLT. WE THEREFORE DSNDED TO ABOUT 7400 FT SOME 3 OR 4 MI OUTSIDE OF TIFFY BEFORE THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED, ALERTING ME TO THE MISTAKE. WITH NO VNAV ON OUR ACFT WE MUST CONSTANTLY BE ON GUARD NOT TO GET AHEAD OF THE ALT CLRED TO, AS I DID IN THIS CASE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 494328: NOTE THAT COMPANY PROCS CALL FOR THE PNF TO SET THE ALERTER AND HAD THIS PROC BEEN FOLLOWED THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB.
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.