 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A320 first officer utilizes wrong equipment (vertical speed selector instead of altitude select knob) to adjust altitude descent rate and overshoots assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 502260 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : swl.vortac |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : cedar lake |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 502260 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : student pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 502369 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar 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:
Controller cleared flight direct radds intersection to cross at 15000 ft. First officer was PF. First officer set 15000 ft in FMS, entered 15000 ft in altitude select and began descent. Initial indications were that aircraft would not meet altitude at radds. Vertical speed was selected to expedite descent. Due to the proximity of the altitude select knob, first officer inadvertently grabbed this knob instead of vertical speed. 1 click was all it took to enter 14000 ft. Neither captain nor first officer caught the new altitude inadvertently set. Aircraft crossed radds at 14000 ft instead of 15000 ft. ZDC called us and advised 'no problem...no conflict.' remainder of flight normal. Altitude change to cross radds occurred during preliminary approach briefing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FO UTILIZES WRONG EQUIP (VERT SPD SELECTOR INSTEAD OF ALT SELECT KNOB) TO ADJUST ALT DSCNT RATE AND OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: CTLR CLRED FLT DIRECT RADDS INTXN TO CROSS AT 15000 FT. FO WAS PF. FO SET 15000 FT IN FMS, ENTERED 15000 FT IN ALT SELECT AND BEGAN DSCNT. INITIAL INDICATIONS WERE THAT ACFT WOULD NOT MEET ALT AT RADDS. VERT SPD WAS SELECTED TO EXPEDITE DSCNT. DUE TO THE PROX OF THE ALT SELECT KNOB, FO INADVERTENTLY GRABBED THIS KNOB INSTEAD OF VERT SPD. 1 CLICK WAS ALL IT TOOK TO ENTER 14000 FT. NEITHER CAPT NOR FO CAUGHT THE NEW ALT INADVERTENTLY SET. ACFT CROSSED RADDS AT 14000 FT INSTEAD OF 15000 FT. ZDC CALLED US AND ADVISED 'NO PROB...NO CONFLICT.' REMAINDER OF FLT NORMAL. ALT CHANGE TO CROSS RADDS OCCURRED DURING PRELIMINARY APCH BRIEFING.
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.