 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Altitude excursion as a C525 flight crew enters the class B of phx when concerned with their proximity to low lying hills during a night operation, 15 NM northeast of pxr, az.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 579429 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200304 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : pxr.vortac |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citationjet, C525/C526 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : vfr enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 579429 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departing from falcon field, mesa (ffz), az, late at night, the ATC tower was already closed, so, we departed with traffic calls on the unicom, intending to pick up our IFR clearance immediately after we were airborne. However, we were not able to contact phoenix immediately and we were, by then, heading in the direction of our flight plan -- which has an MSA of 6000 ft. We were below phoenix class B and were concerned about high ground which we knew to be some distance ahead of us. We reached 3300 ft, due to some concern about a dark area ahead of us that could have been terrain (night). We resumed 3000 ft as soon as clear of the dark area. Once phoenix was successfully contacted, we were told to climb to 5000 ft, and did so. We then saw a similar area of possible high ground ahead and climbed to 5500 ft, before immediately returning to 5000 ft and requesting higher (which was immediately given). No traffic conflicts. Main learning point: we need egpws. It would provide the reassurance that a particular altitude is indeed clear of terrain, even if not on a formal ATC vector. I have also attended a CJ1 recurrent class since then.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALT EXCURSION AS A C525 FLT CREW ENTERS THE CLASS B OF PHX WHEN CONCERNED WITH THEIR PROX TO LOW LYING HILLS DURING A NIGHT OP, 15 NM NE OF PXR, AZ.
Narrative: DEPARTING FROM FALCON FIELD, MESA (FFZ), AZ, LATE AT NIGHT, THE ATC TWR WAS ALREADY CLOSED, SO, WE DEPARTED WITH TFC CALLS ON THE UNICOM, INTENDING TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTACT PHOENIX IMMEDIATELY AND WE WERE, BY THEN, HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR FLT PLAN -- WHICH HAS AN MSA OF 6000 FT. WE WERE BELOW PHOENIX CLASS B AND WERE CONCERNED ABOUT HIGH GND WHICH WE KNEW TO BE SOME DISTANCE AHEAD OF US. WE REACHED 3300 FT, DUE TO SOME CONCERN ABOUT A DARK AREA AHEAD OF US THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TERRAIN (NIGHT). WE RESUMED 3000 FT AS SOON AS CLR OF THE DARK AREA. ONCE PHOENIX WAS SUCCESSFULLY CONTACTED, WE WERE TOLD TO CLB TO 5000 FT, AND DID SO. WE THEN SAW A SIMILAR AREA OF POSSIBLE HIGH GND AHEAD AND CLBED TO 5500 FT, BEFORE IMMEDIATELY RETURNING TO 5000 FT AND REQUESTING HIGHER (WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN). NO TFC CONFLICTS. MAIN LEARNING POINT: WE NEED EGPWS. IT WOULD PROVIDE THE REASSURANCE THAT A PARTICULAR ALT IS INDEED CLR OF TERRAIN, EVEN IF NOT ON A FORMAL ATC VECTOR. I HAVE ALSO ATTENDED A CJ1 RECURRENT CLASS SINCE THEN.
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.