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PA-28 pilot had an excursion from assigned altitude that leads to a descent below MSA in the phoenix area on an IFR night training flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 567055 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200211 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : pxr.vortac |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 120 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 567055 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 79 flight time total : 448 flight time type : 342 |
| ASRS Report | 567069 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllerb other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
My instructor and I were on a cross country IFR flight. We were being vectored to our final destination, deer valley airport in phoenix. We were told to descend to 6000 ft and I heard 4000 ft mistakenly. After descending to 5000 ft, my instructor said do not descend anymore. At that point my instructor told me to climb and ATC said the same thing. We were told to call the tower when we landed. It was XA00 when the incident occurred over white tank mountains. Fatigue was a contributing factor. My instructor had a visual of the mountain top and that's how it was discovered we were too low. From there, a climb was initiated. Supplemental information from acn #567069: my student and I were on a 250 NM night IFR cross country to satisfy training requirements. We requested the GPS runway 7R approach into dvt. After crossing the bxk VOR, about 2 NM after, we were vectored off of V-16 to fly direct to boles intersection on the approach. We were also told to descend from 7000 ft to 6000 ft. I was quizzing my student on several different aspects concerning the approach, and eventually asked him what altitude we had been cleared to. He said 4000 ft. Thinking that I had missed that instruction from ATC and thinking that it seemed like an appropriate step down altitude, I believed him. I was maintaining visual with the white tank mountains, and upon reaching 5000 ft, I told him to look outside and stop the descent immediately. The mountains seemed closer than what ATC would vector us for. ATC then called and told us to climb immediately, which we did back to 6000 ft. Contributing factor may have been night fatigue and instructor's failure to verify assigned altitude.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA-28 PLT HAD AN EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED ALT THAT LEADS TO A DSCNT BELOW MSA IN THE PHOENIX AREA ON AN IFR NIGHT TRAINING FLT.
Narrative: MY INSTRUCTOR AND I WERE ON A XCOUNTRY IFR FLT. WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO OUR FINAL DEST, DEER VALLEY ARPT IN PHOENIX. WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 6000 FT AND I HEARD 4000 FT MISTAKENLY. AFTER DSNDING TO 5000 FT, MY INSTRUCTOR SAID DO NOT DSND ANYMORE. AT THAT POINT MY INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME TO CLB AND ATC SAID THE SAME THING. WE WERE TOLD TO CALL THE TWR WHEN WE LANDED. IT WAS XA00 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED OVER WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS. FATIGUE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. MY INSTRUCTOR HAD A VISUAL OF THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED WE WERE TOO LOW. FROM THERE, A CLB WAS INITIATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN #567069: MY STUDENT AND I WERE ON A 250 NM NIGHT IFR XCOUNTRY TO SATISFY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. WE REQUESTED THE GPS RWY 7R APCH INTO DVT. AFTER XING THE BXK VOR, ABOUT 2 NM AFTER, WE WERE VECTORED OFF OF V-16 TO FLY DIRECT TO BOLES INTXN ON THE APCH. WE WERE ALSO TOLD TO DSND FROM 7000 FT TO 6000 FT. I WAS QUIZZING MY STUDENT ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT ASPECTS CONCERNING THE APCH, AND EVENTUALLY ASKED HIM WHAT ALT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO. HE SAID 4000 FT. THINKING THAT I HAD MISSED THAT INSTRUCTION FROM ATC AND THINKING THAT IT SEEMED LIKE AN APPROPRIATE STEP DOWN ALT, I BELIEVED HIM. I WAS MAINTAINING VISUAL WITH THE WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS, AND UPON REACHING 5000 FT, I TOLD HIM TO LOOK OUTSIDE AND STOP THE DSCNT IMMEDIATELY. THE MOUNTAINS SEEMED CLOSER THAN WHAT ATC WOULD VECTOR US FOR. ATC THEN CALLED AND TOLD US TO CLB IMMEDIATELY, WHICH WE DID BACK TO 6000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN NIGHT FATIGUE AND INSTRUCTOR'S FAILURE TO VERIFY ASSIGNED ALT.
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.