 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
LJ35 descended from assigned altitude when PIC misunderstood clearance. PNF was engaged in administrative duties at the time.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 580248 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200304 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ugn.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : c90.tracon tower : ugn.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Learjet 35 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival : vfr |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 580248 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 19800 flight time type : 115 |
| ASRS Report | 580248 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While being vectored for an approach to ugn, we were assigned an altitude of 4000 ft. As we neared the lakeshore my copilot was contacting unicom at ugn. I was monitoring the approach frequency, which was very busy with other airport. I believe we were asked if we had the airport in sight. As we overflew kenosha airport, we called and said we had the airport in sight. I apparently misunderstood. 'Express the visual to runway 5.' as a clearance for the visual approach. I began a descent out of 4000-3500 ft. Then the copilot asked if we were given a clearance to descend. We had switched frequency to ugn tower, which again, I thought was a clearance for the visibility to runway 5. At this time, the PNF was looking for an approach plate for the airport. The ugn tower instructed us to return to approach frequency approach, then told us we descended without clearance. We immediately climbed back to 4000 ft. Approach then handed us off to ugn tower, cleared us for the visual, and instructed us to remain north of the airport. We were above the airport at this time. When we did make the visual to runway 5, it was after flying a right 270 degree turn to final, because of our position. We landed normally, I believe the greatest factor was due to being based at pwk, I was complacent in thinking I'm in familiar territory, whereas the vectors and approach to ugn is very different. Allowing the PNF to contact and FBO for passenger convenience was ill timed. The approach/landing phases of flight requires all of both pilots' attention. An added distraction was the gear warning horn intermittently sounding. In conclusion, treat every approach like an approach to a strange airport in bad WX, prepare early, and keep both pilots involved during the approach.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LJ35 DSNDED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN PIC MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. PNF WAS ENGAGED IN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AT THE TIME.
Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN APCH TO UGN, WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 4000 FT. AS WE NEARED THE LAKESHORE MY COPLT WAS CONTACTING UNICOM AT UGN. I WAS MONITORING THE APCH FREQ, WHICH WAS VERY BUSY WITH OTHER ARPT. I BELIEVE WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AS WE OVERFLEW KENOSHA ARPT, WE CALLED AND SAID WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I APPARENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD. 'EXPRESS THE VISUAL TO RWY 5.' AS A CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I BEGAN A DSCNT OUT OF 4000-3500 FT. THEN THE COPLT ASKED IF WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND. WE HAD SWITCHED FREQ TO UGN TWR, WHICH AGAIN, I THOUGHT WAS A CLRNC FOR THE VISIBILITY TO RWY 5. AT THIS TIME, THE PNF WAS LOOKING FOR AN APCH PLATE FOR THE ARPT. THE UGN TWR INSTRUCTED US TO RETURN TO APCH FREQ APCH, THEN TOLD US WE DSNDED WITHOUT CLRNC. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 4000 FT. APCH THEN HANDED US OFF TO UGN TWR, CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL, AND INSTRUCTED US TO REMAIN N OF THE ARPT. WE WERE ABOVE THE ARPT AT THIS TIME. WHEN WE DID MAKE THE VISUAL TO RWY 5, IT WAS AFTER FLYING A R 270 DEG TURN TO FINAL, BECAUSE OF OUR POS. WE LANDED NORMALLY, I BELIEVE THE GREATEST FACTOR WAS DUE TO BEING BASED AT PWK, I WAS COMPLACENT IN THINKING I'M IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY, WHEREAS THE VECTORS AND APCH TO UGN IS VERY DIFFERENT. ALLOWING THE PNF TO CONTACT AND FBO FOR PAX CONVENIENCE WAS ILL TIMED. THE APCH/LNDG PHASES OF FLT REQUIRES ALL OF BOTH PLTS' ATTN. AN ADDED DISTR WAS THE GEAR WARNING HORN INTERMITTENTLY SOUNDING. IN CONCLUSION, TREAT EVERY APCH LIKE AN APCH TO A STRANGE ARPT IN BAD WX, PREPARE EARLY, AND KEEP BOTH PLTS INVOLVED DURING THE 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.