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A B737-400 first officer starts a premature descent, believing that the flight had been cleared to 6000 ft 25 mi south of pit, PA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 538094 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200202 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9400 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 32 other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 538094 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| 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:
First officer flying, inbound pit for runway 32. We were given frequency change, but controller was busy and did not respond. I looked down at approach plate. When I looked up, first officer had put 6000 ft in altitude window. Aircraft was descending down towards 9400 ft. I said we were cleared to 10000 ft. He said no 6000 ft. I said no, go back to 10000 ft. I checked in again and asked to clarify clearance. Controller said 10000 ft, but then said descend to 6000 ft. No traffic near, no problems with controller, but first officer did not follow company training procedures.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-400 FO STARTS A PREMATURE DSCNT, BELIEVING THAT THE FLT HAD BEEN CLRED TO 6000 FT 25 MI S OF PIT, PA.
Narrative: FO FLYING, INBOUND PIT FOR RWY 32. WE WERE GIVEN FREQ CHANGE, BUT CTLR WAS BUSY AND DID NOT RESPOND. I LOOKED DOWN AT APCH PLATE. WHEN I LOOKED UP, FO HAD PUT 6000 FT IN ALT WINDOW. ACFT WAS DSNDING DOWN TOWARDS 9400 FT. I SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT. HE SAID NO 6000 FT. I SAID NO, GO BACK TO 10000 FT. I CHKED IN AGAIN AND ASKED TO CLARIFY CLRNC. CTLR SAID 10000 FT, BUT THEN SAID DSND TO 6000 FT. NO TFC NEAR, NO PROBS WITH CTLR, BUT FO DID NOT FOLLOW COMPANY TRAINING PROCS.
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.