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A320 PIC became distracted programming FMS and did not notice the first officer descend in vertical speed mode through a crossing altitude on the mitts arrival.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 581273 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : mitts |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 581273 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were on the civet 4 arrival to lax runway 25L. At the last min, we were issued clearance for the mitts 1 arrival to runway 24R. ATC issued clearance to descend via the arrival. The aircraft was descending in vertical speed mode instead of 'managed descent,' which would have made all the crossing altitudes. I had been busy programming the new arrival and verifying the altitude restrs. We received a frequency change and then I noticed we were level at 8000 ft at mitts intersection. Mitts has a published crossing altitude of 10000-11000 ft MSL. ATC told us to stay at 8000 ft. We should not have let the increased workload distract from working as a team. As PNF I should have divided my attention between the basics of monitoring the PF and navigation data entry. Supplemental information from acn 581457: thinking we were in managed navigation, we were really in vertical speed mode and ended up crossing mitts below 10000 ft which is where we should have been. We continued the approach with a normal landing runway 24R. We both learned a lesson from this and can assure you that we will be more aware of FMA displays and crossing restrs in the future.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 PIC BECAME DISTRACTED PROGRAMMING FMS AND DID NOT NOTICE THE FO DSND IN VERT SPD MODE THROUGH A XING ALT ON THE MITTS ARR.
Narrative: WE WERE ON THE CIVET 4 ARR TO LAX RWY 25L. AT THE LAST MIN, WE WERE ISSUED CLRNC FOR THE MITTS 1 ARR TO RWY 24R. ATC ISSUED CLRNC TO DSND VIA THE ARR. THE ACFT WAS DSNDING IN VERT SPD MODE INSTEAD OF 'MANAGED DSCNT,' WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE ALL THE XING ALTS. I HAD BEEN BUSY PROGRAMMING THE NEW ARR AND VERIFYING THE ALT RESTRS. WE RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE AND THEN I NOTICED WE WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT AT MITTS INTXN. MITTS HAS A PUBLISHED XING ALT OF 10000-11000 FT MSL. ATC TOLD US TO STAY AT 8000 FT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THE INCREASED WORKLOAD DISTRACT FROM WORKING AS A TEAM. AS PNF I SHOULD HAVE DIVIDED MY ATTN BTWN THE BASICS OF MONITORING THE PF AND NAV DATA ENTRY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 581457: THINKING WE WERE IN MANAGED NAV, WE WERE REALLY IN VERT SPD MODE AND ENDED UP XING MITTS BELOW 10000 FT WHICH IS WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. WE CONTINUED THE APCH WITH A NORMAL LNDG RWY 24R. WE BOTH LEARNED A LESSON FROM THIS AND CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE WILL BE MORE AWARE OF FMA DISPLAYS AND XING RESTRS IN THE FUTURE.
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.