Narrative:

Olympia.3 arrival radial south of olympia we received clearance to descend via the arrival. As PNF I repeated the clearance and set 10000 in the altitude window after consulting the depiction on the chart. We actually should have set 12000 ft for a north landing as 10000 ft was for propellers only. Even though we had reviewed the arrival earlier at the moment of execution the comment about propellers was not readily apparent. In other arrivals such as at dfw instructions for jets and pops are separated and are much more easily distinguishable. Also there is no explicit descend via the arrival. Upon re reading the chart under the arrow pointed toward olympia it is somewhat confusing. Supplemental information from acn 526299: the note listing the appropriate altitudes for particular aircraft is misleading. Most arrivals have jet at the tip in bold letters. This on has jet in the middle of the note and one must read and note the punctuation to correctly figure out which altitude is proper. Using clrncs to descend via an arrival removes one level of protection. In this case the controller depended on the crew to interpret the arrival. Nation wide there are very few profile arrivals. Next time there is any discussion I will ensure that the clearance is verified with ATC. It would be nice to have the commercial chart re format the note.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMERCIAL OLYMPIA THREE ARRIVAL CHART TO SEATTLE, WA, IS REPORTED AS CONFUSING AND EASILY MISREAD BY AN ACR CREW.

Narrative: OLYMPIA.3 ARRIVAL RADIAL SOUTH OF OLYMPIA WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO DESCEND VIA THE ARRIVAL. AS PNF I REPEATED THE CLRNC AND SET 10000 IN THE ALTITUDE WINDOW AFTER CONSULTING THE DEPICTION ON THE CHART. WE ACTUALLY SHOULD HAVE SET 12000 FT FOR A NORTH LANDING AS 10000 FT WAS FOR PROPS ONLY. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD REVIEWED THE ARRIVAL EARLIER AT THE MOMENT OF EXECUTION THE COMMENT ABOUT PROPS WAS NOT READILY APPARENT. IN OTHER ARRIVALS SUCH AS AT DFW INSTRUCTIONS FOR JETS AND POPS ARE SEPARATED AND ARE MUCH MORE EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE. ALSO THERE IS NO EXPLICIT DESCEND VIA THE ARRIVAL. UPON RE READING THE CHART UNDER THE ARROW POINTED TOWARD OLYMPIA IT IS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 526299: THE NOTE LISTING THE APPROPRIATE ALTITUDES FOR PARTICULAR ACFT IS MISLEADING. MOST ARRIVALS HAVE JET AT THE TIP IN BOLD LETTERS. THIS ON HAS JET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NOTE AND ONE MUST READ AND NOTE THE PUNCTUATION TO CORRECTLY FIGURE OUT WHICH ALTITUDE IS PROPER. USING CLRNCS TO DESCEND VIA AN ARRIVAL REMOVES ONE LEVEL OF PROTECTION. IN THIS CASE THE CTLR DEPENDED ON THE CREW TO INTERPRET THE ARRIVAL. NATION WIDE THERE ARE VERY FEW PROFILE ARRIVALS. NEXT TIME THERE IS ANY DISCUSSION I WILL ENSURE THAT THE CLRNC IS VERIFIED WITH ATC. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE COMMERCIAL CHART RE FORMAT THE NOTE.

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.