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Without an approach clearance, flight crew of B757-200 inbound to rplc descend below cleared altitude when cleared via a 12 mi arc which coincided with an initial approach routing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 633916 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200410 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rplc.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Fog |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : rplc.tracon tracon : rplb.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent : holding |
| Route In Use | arrival star : n/a |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : rplc.tracon |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 2140 |
| ASRS Report | 633916 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 633914 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The captain was flying. About 120 mi from clark field, we started our initial descent and were given several stepdown dscnts by manila radar controllers. Manila controller descended us to his minimum radar altitude and cleared us to proceed direct to clark VOR. About 40 mi from the clark field we were told to contact clark approach. Clark approach controllers don't have a radar so we had to start giving them short position reports. About 20 mi from the field, we were given a clearance to descend to 7000 ft and cleared to roser intersection via clark 12 DME arc for the ILS runway 20L. Roser is the initial approach fix for the ILS runway 20L. We were told that we were #3 for the approach. We joined the 12 DME arc using LNAV fully expecting to join the localizer inbound for the ILS approach. The approach altitude depicted for the arc is 4000 ft. Captain commanded 4000 ft on altitude window thinking he was getting high and needed to descend to 4000 ft as soon as possible. About the same time we were told to proceed direct to roser and hold. I got very busy building the holding pattern on FMC. It took me a few extra seconds to get it loaded right. By that time, captain was already descending to 4000 ft which I did not notice because I was heads down trying to build this hold on FMC. The aircraft joined the hold as expected. I reported to clark approach our holding position over roser at 4000 ft. He questioned our altitude and told us to climb back up to 7000 ft right away. He had another aircraft on a left downwind descending for the same approach and runway. We climbed back up quickly and then the controller told us to maintain 5000 ft which would be good enough. About 1 min later we saw another aircraft visually. After he landed we were given landing clearance from the hold. We completed the approach normally. Lesson learned: never leave assigned altitude for lower even if you're stabilized on an initial approach segment unless you've heard the magic words 'cleared for the approach!'
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WITHOUT AN APCH CLRNC, FLT CREW OF B757-200 INBOUND TO RPLC DSND BELOW CLRED ALT WHEN CLRED VIA A 12 MI ARC WHICH COINCIDED WITH AN INITIAL APCH ROUTING.
Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING. ABOUT 120 MI FROM CLARK FIELD, WE STARTED OUR INITIAL DSCNT AND WERE GIVEN SEVERAL STEPDOWN DSCNTS BY MANILA RADAR CTLRS. MANILA CTLR DSNDED US TO HIS MINIMUM RADAR ALT AND CLRED US TO PROCEED DIRECT TO CLARK VOR. ABOUT 40 MI FROM THE CLARK FIELD WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT CLARK APCH. CLARK APCH CTLRS DON'T HAVE A RADAR SO WE HAD TO START GIVING THEM SHORT POS RPTS. ABOUT 20 MI FROM THE FIELD, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND TO 7000 FT AND CLRED TO ROSER INTXN VIA CLARK 12 DME ARC FOR THE ILS RWY 20L. ROSER IS THE INITIAL APCH FIX FOR THE ILS RWY 20L. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE #3 FOR THE APCH. WE JOINED THE 12 DME ARC USING LNAV FULLY EXPECTING TO JOIN THE LOC INBOUND FOR THE ILS APCH. THE APCH ALT DEPICTED FOR THE ARC IS 4000 FT. CAPT COMMANDED 4000 FT ON ALT WINDOW THINKING HE WAS GETTING HIGH AND NEEDED TO DSND TO 4000 FT ASAP. ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT TO ROSER AND HOLD. I GOT VERY BUSY BUILDING THE HOLDING PATTERN ON FMC. IT TOOK ME A FEW EXTRA SECONDS TO GET IT LOADED RIGHT. BY THAT TIME, CAPT WAS ALREADY DSNDING TO 4000 FT WHICH I DID NOT NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS HEADS DOWN TRYING TO BUILD THIS HOLD ON FMC. THE ACFT JOINED THE HOLD AS EXPECTED. I RPTED TO CLARK APCH OUR HOLDING POS OVER ROSER AT 4000 FT. HE QUESTIONED OUR ALT AND TOLD US TO CLB BACK UP TO 7000 FT RIGHT AWAY. HE HAD ANOTHER ACFT ON A L DOWNWIND DSNDING FOR THE SAME APCH AND RWY. WE CLBED BACK UP QUICKLY AND THEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT WHICH WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER WE SAW ANOTHER ACFT VISUALLY. AFTER HE LANDED WE WERE GIVEN LNDG CLRNC FROM THE HOLD. WE COMPLETED THE APCH NORMALLY. LESSON LEARNED: NEVER LEAVE ASSIGNED ALT FOR LOWER EVEN IF YOU'RE STABILIZED ON AN INITIAL APCH SEGMENT UNLESS YOU'VE HEARD THE MAGIC WORDS 'CLRED FOR 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.