Medium large transport bizjet crew was issued a low altitude alert by the N90 approach controller after the crew had crew coordination problems. The GS alarm indicated a faulty GS, requiring a localizer (GS out) approach. The captain told the first officer to descend early to 1500 ft.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	598597
Time
Date	200311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision arrival : holding pattern arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 18450 flight time type : 4750
ASRS Report	598597
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment : msaw atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Navigational Facility Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Navigational Aid	TEB.ILS

Narrative:

IFR/high altitude flight hou-teb. Last second holding pattern phl approach control airspace. Left hold, radar vector by new york TRACON to teb. Night/IFR. Cleared ILS runway 6 (200 ft, 1/2 SM minimums). On intercept, approach controller advised to expect to hold, location unmentioned, GS alarm at teb. PNF (me) looked up localizer minimums, then took radar vector off localizer, then turned back toward centerline and reclred localizer approach. During this period, PF (captain) decided to use the right side FMS (mine) which I was using for orientation and location, without telling me. While I was monitoring the approach, I told the PF to go to 1500 ft MSL after passing a certain intersection. I reset the altitude alerter from 2000 ft to 1500 ft, and when I got my navigation system reset back to where I had had it set to begin the approach, we were already at 1500 ft. Approach control called a low level alert and directed us back to 2000 ft. The rest of the localizer approach was conducted to published minimums and the landing completed. Loss of cockpit communications and orientation by the PF, led to what at another time or location, could have been disastrous. This time the famous teterboro towers weren't under us -- we were lucky!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG BIZJET CREW WAS ISSUED A LOW ALT ALERT BY THE N90 APCH CTLR AFTER THE CREW HAD CREW COORD PROBS. THE GS ALARM INDICATED A FAULTY GS, REQUIRING A LOC (GS OUT) APCH. THE CAPT TOLD THE FO TO DSND EARLY TO 1500 FT.

Narrative: IFR/HIGH ALT FLT HOU-TEB. LAST SECOND HOLDING PATTERN PHL APCH CTL AIRSPACE. L HOLD, RADAR VECTOR BY NEW YORK TRACON TO TEB. NIGHT/IFR. CLRED ILS RWY 6 (200 FT, 1/2 SM MINIMUMS). ON INTERCEPT, APCH CTLR ADVISED TO EXPECT TO HOLD, LOCATION UNMENTIONED, GS ALARM AT TEB. PNF (ME) LOOKED UP LOC MINIMUMS, THEN TOOK RADAR VECTOR OFF LOC, THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD CTRLINE AND RECLRED LOC APCH. DURING THIS PERIOD, PF (CAPT) DECIDED TO USE THE R SIDE FMS (MINE) WHICH I WAS USING FOR ORIENTATION AND LOCATION, WITHOUT TELLING ME. WHILE I WAS MONITORING THE APCH, I TOLD THE PF TO GO TO 1500 FT MSL AFTER PASSING A CERTAIN INTXN. I RESET THE ALT ALERTER FROM 2000 FT TO 1500 FT, AND WHEN I GOT MY NAV SYS RESET BACK TO WHERE I HAD HAD IT SET TO BEGIN THE APCH, WE WERE ALREADY AT 1500 FT. APCH CTL CALLED A LOW LEVEL ALERT AND DIRECTED US BACK TO 2000 FT. THE REST OF THE LOC APCH WAS CONDUCTED TO PUBLISHED MINIMUMS AND THE LNDG COMPLETED. LOSS OF COCKPIT COMS AND ORIENTATION BY THE PF, LED TO WHAT AT ANOTHER TIME OR LOCATION, COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THIS TIME THE FAMOUS TETERBORO TWRS WEREN'T UNDER US -- WE WERE LUCKY!

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.