Narrative:

Our air carrier X was cleared to 4000 ft; intercepted the localizer and was cleared for the approach runway 17C at dfw. I was the PNF handling the radio calls and running the checklists. As I was completing the approach checklist; final monitor came on the radio and stated air carrier X had been instructed to maintain 4000 ft until penny intersection. At that moment I looked up from the checklist to see that we were inside penny; coming upon zingg; at an altitude of 3300 ft with 3000 ft set in the altitude selector. The first officer who was flying had selected 3000 ft and was in the process first officer selecting 2500 ft in the altitude selector. We were below GS. Although I do not recall any instruction to maintain 4000 ft until penny intersection; the approach plate showed 4000 ft. Immediately; I instructed the first officer to climb to GS. We were at 4000 ft when I began the checklist. Since the first officer changed the altitude selector without notifying me; there was no chime for the altitude deviation. At what moment the first officer left 4000 ft I am not certain. However; it could not have been very far from penny intersection. Upon my instruction; the first officer proceeded to climb to GS and proceeded with normal ILS. Once we had blocked in at the gate; I discussed the approach with the first officer. He told me that he was thinking localizer approach with descent to visual conditions. Runway 17C at dfw has been under construction for some time with the ILS runway 17C decommissioned. We have been flying the localizer to visual for several months. The new ILS was commissioned just recently with the opening of full length runway 17C. Although we had discussed this in our approach briefing; the first officer was still thinking visual approach. At 4000 ft; we were in the base of scattered clouds. Bases were at 3800 ft with 7 mi visibility. In the first officer's mind; once he was cleared for the approach; he was cleared to start his descent to VFR conditions. We were cleared for the new ILS runway 17C as was programmed into the radios. We discussed in detail the problem created when the first officer changed the altitude selector without telling me. We discussed how the first officer's actions removed me from the loop making me unaware of the situation until the controller came on the radio. We further discussed the importance of CRM. In hindsight; although we were well out on the approach and the first officer was senior with 2500 hours in type; I will strive to ensure that checklists are completed sooner to allow me to be in a position to fully monitor the actions of the first officer anywhere near the airport. Supplemental information from acn 676715: inbound to dfw; approach told us to 'expect runway 17C' without any mention of the type of approach in use. The current dfw arrival ATIS was for VMC (2200 ft scattered). I briefed a visual approach to runway 17C. Our pilots and dfw approach controllers conduct so many approachs together that controllers don't worry about us doing what they expect; like they would a less frequent visitor to dfw. 99% of the time this is no problem and the operation runs very smoothly. But this also leads to complacency. The fact that runway 17C construction is done and the ILS is operational is a change to the status quo. When a pilot is not aware of such a change and is working with old assumptions; miscom between the pilots and ATC can easily happen. Whenever there is a change like this; controllers should use extra care in their communications; making sure that clrncs are properly stated and read back by pilots; especially with those who frequent dfw and may make wrong assumptions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E145 FLT CREW DSNDS EARLY ON ILS RWY 17C AT DFW.

Narrative: OUR ACR X WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT; INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH RWY 17C AT DFW. I WAS THE PNF HANDLING THE RADIO CALLS AND RUNNING THE CHKLISTS. AS I WAS COMPLETING THE APCH CHKLIST; FINAL MONITOR CAME ON THE RADIO AND STATED ACR X HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL PENNY INTXN. AT THAT MOMENT I LOOKED UP FROM THE CHKLIST TO SEE THAT WE WERE INSIDE PENNY; COMING UPON ZINGG; AT AN ALT OF 3300 FT WITH 3000 FT SET IN THE ALT SELECTOR. THE FO WHO WAS FLYING HAD SELECTED 3000 FT AND WAS IN THE PROCESS FO SELECTING 2500 FT IN THE ALT SELECTOR. WE WERE BELOW GS. ALTHOUGH I DO NOT RECALL ANY INSTRUCTION TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL PENNY INTXN; THE APCH PLATE SHOWED 4000 FT. IMMEDIATELY; I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO CLB TO GS. WE WERE AT 4000 FT WHEN I BEGAN THE CHKLIST. SINCE THE FO CHANGED THE ALT SELECTOR WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME; THERE WAS NO CHIME FOR THE ALTDEV. AT WHAT MOMENT THE FO LEFT 4000 FT I AM NOT CERTAIN. HOWEVER; IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN VERY FAR FROM PENNY INTXN. UPON MY INSTRUCTION; THE FO PROCEEDED TO CLB TO GS AND PROCEEDED WITH NORMAL ILS. ONCE WE HAD BLOCKED IN AT THE GATE; I DISCUSSED THE APCH WITH THE FO. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS THINKING LOC APCH WITH DSCNT TO VISUAL CONDITIONS. RWY 17C AT DFW HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR SOME TIME WITH THE ILS RWY 17C DECOMMISSIONED. WE HAVE BEEN FLYING THE LOC TO VISUAL FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE NEW ILS WAS COMMISSIONED JUST RECENTLY WITH THE OPENING OF FULL LENGTH RWY 17C. ALTHOUGH WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS IN OUR APCH BRIEFING; THE FO WAS STILL THINKING VISUAL APCH. AT 4000 FT; WE WERE IN THE BASE OF SCATTERED CLOUDS. BASES WERE AT 3800 FT WITH 7 MI VISIBILITY. IN THE FO'S MIND; ONCE HE WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH; HE WAS CLRED TO START HIS DSCNT TO VFR CONDITIONS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE NEW ILS RWY 17C AS WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE RADIOS. WE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL THE PROB CREATED WHEN THE FO CHANGED THE ALT SELECTOR WITHOUT TELLING ME. WE DISCUSSED HOW THE FO'S ACTIONS REMOVED ME FROM THE LOOP MAKING ME UNAWARE OF THE SITUATION UNTIL THE CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO. WE FURTHER DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CRM. IN HINDSIGHT; ALTHOUGH WE WERE WELL OUT ON THE APCH AND THE FO WAS SENIOR WITH 2500 HRS IN TYPE; I WILL STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT CHKLISTS ARE COMPLETED SOONER TO ALLOW ME TO BE IN A POS TO FULLY MONITOR THE ACTIONS OF THE FO ANYWHERE NEAR THE ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 676715: INBOUND TO DFW; APCH TOLD US TO 'EXPECT RWY 17C' WITHOUT ANY MENTION OF THE TYPE OF APCH IN USE. THE CURRENT DFW ARR ATIS WAS FOR VMC (2200 FT SCATTERED). I BRIEFED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17C. OUR PLTS AND DFW APCH CTLRS CONDUCT SO MANY APCHS TOGETHER THAT CTLRS DON'T WORRY ABOUT US DOING WHAT THEY EXPECT; LIKE THEY WOULD A LESS FREQUENT VISITOR TO DFW. 99% OF THE TIME THIS IS NO PROB AND THE OP RUNS VERY SMOOTHLY. BUT THIS ALSO LEADS TO COMPLACENCY. THE FACT THAT RWY 17C CONSTRUCTION IS DONE AND THE ILS IS OPERATIONAL IS A CHANGE TO THE STATUS QUO. WHEN A PLT IS NOT AWARE OF SUCH A CHANGE AND IS WORKING WITH OLD ASSUMPTIONS; MISCOM BTWN THE PLTS AND ATC CAN EASILY HAPPEN. WHENEVER THERE IS A CHANGE LIKE THIS; CTLRS SHOULD USE EXTRA CARE IN THEIR COMS; MAKING SURE THAT CLRNCS ARE PROPERLY STATED AND READ BACK BY PLTS; ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE WHO FREQUENT DFW AND MAY MAKE WRONG ASSUMPTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.