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Flight crew of an air carrier large transport on short flight failed to descend to arrival procedure crossing altitude due workload and STAR interpretation confusion.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 503943 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200103 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : olm.vortac |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse.artcc tower : mco.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : olm.olmz |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 503943 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 2550 flight time type : 255 |
| ASRS Report | 503848 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Air carrier X flight pdx-sea. Very short flight, IMC with icing. High workload allowed minimum time for briefing the approach into sea. This was first officer's leg, but captain flew aircraft while I briefed the approach. STAR into sea was olm 2 which we had reviewed on ground in pdx and noted was somewhat confusing. We were about 10 DME south of olm VOR when given clearance 'cleared via olm 2, descend to 16000 ft.' captain descended from FL180 and crossed olm at 16000 ft and turned outbound on the olm 022 degree radial. There was confusion as to whether we were cleared to descend further to 12000 ft to cross olm 022 degree/20 NM as depicted, and captain stayed at 16000 ft until confirmation from ATC. Constant radio traffic delayed communication with ATC, and making the 12000 ft restr at 022 degrees/20 NM became impossible. ATC issued vectors at this point with further descent into the sea area. No traffic conflict ever existed. WX, human factors, short legs combined with unfamiliar and confusing STAR procedures contributed to missing the altitude restr.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN ACR LGT ON SHORT FLT FAILED TO DSND TO ARR PROC XING ALT DUE WORKLOAD AND STAR INTERP CONFUSION.
Narrative: ACR X FLT PDX-SEA. VERY SHORT FLT, IMC WITH ICING. HIGH WORKLOAD ALLOWED MINIMUM TIME FOR BRIEFING THE APCH INTO SEA. THIS WAS FO'S LEG, BUT CAPT FLEW ACFT WHILE I BRIEFED THE APCH. STAR INTO SEA WAS OLM 2 WHICH WE HAD REVIEWED ON GND IN PDX AND NOTED WAS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING. WE WERE ABOUT 10 DME S OF OLM VOR WHEN GIVEN CLRNC 'CLRED VIA OLM 2, DSND TO 16000 FT.' CAPT DSNDED FROM FL180 AND CROSSED OLM AT 16000 FT AND TURNED OUTBOUND ON THE OLM 022 DEG RADIAL. THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER WE WERE CLRED TO DSND FURTHER TO 12000 FT TO CROSS OLM 022 DEG/20 NM AS DEPICTED, AND CAPT STAYED AT 16000 FT UNTIL CONFIRMATION FROM ATC. CONSTANT RADIO TFC DELAYED COM WITH ATC, AND MAKING THE 12000 FT RESTR AT 022 DEGS/20 NM BECAME IMPOSSIBLE. ATC ISSUED VECTORS AT THIS POINT WITH FURTHER DSCNT INTO THE SEA AREA. NO TFC CONFLICT EVER EXISTED. WX, HUMAN FACTORS, SHORT LEGS COMBINED WITH UNFAMILIAR AND CONFUSING STAR PROCS CONTRIBUTED TO MISSING THE ALT RESTR.
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.