Air carrier flight crew descends below published crossing altitude on approach to iah.

Attributes
ACN	514490
Time
Date	200106
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	514490
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descended below 3000 ft prior to kerns intersection at 10.9 DME on the approach. We descended to 2500 ft or so before it was noticed by the PNF. We immediately stopped the descent and started to climb back to 3000 ft, but by that time we were at kerns and we could go to 2000 ft. Iah approach has a bad habit of clearing you to a lower altitude that is below the floor of class B airspace. I was focused on that to the exclusion of the ILS altitude. Normally I would capture the GS but iah also has a mandatory altitude of 2000 ft outside nixin intersection. I was too focused on the class B airspace and the mandatory crossing altitude. The WX was almost clear, we had the airport in sight, not much traffic. We had been cleared for the ILS to runway 26 so we should have met the crossing restr. In the future I'll try to keep all factors in mind.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW DSNDS BELOW PUBLISHED XING ALT ON APCH TO IAH.

Narrative: DSNDED BELOW 3000 FT PRIOR TO KERNS INTXN AT 10.9 DME ON THE APCH. WE DSNDED TO 2500 FT OR SO BEFORE IT WAS NOTICED BY THE PNF. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE DSCNT AND STARTED TO CLB BACK TO 3000 FT, BUT BY THAT TIME WE WERE AT KERNS AND WE COULD GO TO 2000 FT. IAH APCH HAS A BAD HABIT OF CLRING YOU TO A LOWER ALT THAT IS BELOW THE FLOOR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS FOCUSED ON THAT TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE ILS ALT. NORMALLY I WOULD CAPTURE THE GS BUT IAH ALSO HAS A MANDATORY ALT OF 2000 FT OUTSIDE NIXIN INTXN. I WAS TOO FOCUSED ON THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THE MANDATORY XING ALT. THE WX WAS ALMOST CLEAR, WE HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT, NOT MUCH TRAFFIC. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 26 SO WE SHOULD HAVE MET THE XING RESTR. IN THE FUTURE I'LL TRY TO KEEP ALL FACTORS IN MIND.

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.