CL65 flight crew intercepts ILS GS 900 ft below published ht.

Attributes
ACN	565175
Time
Date	200211
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cak.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cak.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 23 other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	565175
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : glideslope indicator other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was a continuous duty overnight assignment, the third in a row. The previous night, I had no sleep due to noise in the hotel. I was unable to get any sleep the following day either. I estimate I had been without sleep for about 42 hours. Due to the short flight (dtw-cak) my first officer suggested, and I agreed, to brief the ILS runway 23 approach to cak before departing dtw. The approach calls for intercepting the GS at or above 3200 ft MSL. Once acquiring the airport visually, we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 23. I maneuvered the aircraft to intercept the localizer outside the FAF and set the GS intercept altitude to 2300 ft instead of 3200 ft as I should have. I then descended to 2300 ft since the GS indication seemed to agree we were slightly 'high.' once established on the localizer at 2300 ft, the GS indication was correctly indicating 'low.' at this point. I noticed the VASI lights also indicating below GS and the first officer noticed our altitude and said we should be at 3200 ft, not 2300 ft. We continued until GS intercept and completed the approach. I believe I transposed the altitude digits due to fatigue. Also, I will no longer brief an approach before takeoff. I will brief it shortly before the approach so that it is more easily recalled during the approach, even if cleared for a visual approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 FLC INTERCEPTS ILS GS 900 FT BELOW PUBLISHED HT.

Narrative: THIS WAS A CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT ASSIGNMENT, THE THIRD IN A ROW. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, I HAD NO SLEEP DUE TO NOISE IN THE HOTEL. I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY SLEEP THE FOLLOWING DAY EITHER. I ESTIMATE I HAD BEEN WITHOUT SLEEP FOR ABOUT 42 HRS. DUE TO THE SHORT FLT (DTW-CAK) MY FO SUGGESTED, AND I AGREED, TO BRIEF THE ILS RWY 23 APCH TO CAK BEFORE DEPARTING DTW. THE APCH CALLS FOR INTERCEPTING THE GS AT OR ABOVE 3200 FT MSL. ONCE ACQUIRING THE ARPT VISUALLY, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23. I MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC OUTSIDE THE FAF AND SET THE GS INTERCEPT ALT TO 2300 FT INSTEAD OF 3200 FT AS I SHOULD HAVE. I THEN DSNDED TO 2300 FT SINCE THE GS INDICATION SEEMED TO AGREE WE WERE SLIGHTLY 'HIGH.' ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AT 2300 FT, THE GS INDICATION WAS CORRECTLY INDICATING 'LOW.' AT THIS POINT. I NOTICED THE VASI LIGHTS ALSO INDICATING BELOW GS AND THE FO NOTICED OUR ALT AND SAID WE SHOULD BE AT 3200 FT, NOT 2300 FT. WE CONTINUED UNTIL GS INTERCEPT AND COMPLETED THE APCH. I BELIEVE I TRANSPOSED THE ALT DIGITS DUE TO FATIGUE. ALSO, I WILL NO LONGER BRIEF AN APCH BEFORE TKOF. I WILL BRIEF IT SHORTLY BEFORE THE APCH SO THAT IT IS MORE EASILY RECALLED DURING THE APCH, EVEN IF CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH.

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.