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A westwind on visual approach to leb descended below assigned altitude because of cockpit distraction.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 713956 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200610 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : leb.airport |
| State Reference | NH |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Israel Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 713956 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
From pwm to leb; private flight by air carrier operating corporate aircraft. 2 capts assigned; I was PIC flying in left seat. Cruise altitude was 16000 ft; cleared by ZBW to 10000 ft then 6000 ft. Lebanon is surrounded by hills; difficult to see and the options were a full ILS with procedure turn or a visual. I had only been in there once before; under similar lighting conditions; but the other pilot had been in many times so I decided to let him talk me through a visual approach. Our altitude alerter was intermittent; sometimes showing a flag and sometimes not. We got into a discussion of altitudes on the approach; and found ourselves at 4700 ft. We called boston and they switched us over; didn't say anything. The other pilot is leaving the company in a few weeks and will be someone else's problem. I hate to blame it on him but he is completely unreliable and has let me down before. As much as I try to concentrate and I know he's dangerous -- he somehow pulls me down to his level. I should have realized the 'diceyness' of the situation and requested the full ILS approach; then I could have just worried about one altitude at a time. 3 problems: unfamiliar airport in mountains at night; broken equipment; and unreliable crew member are two too many.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A WESTWIND ON VISUAL APCH TO LEB DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT BECAUSE OF COCKPIT DISTR.
Narrative: FROM PWM TO LEB; PVT FLT BY ACR OPERATING CORPORATE ACFT. 2 CAPTS ASSIGNED; I WAS PIC FLYING IN L SEAT. CRUISE ALT WAS 16000 FT; CLRED BY ZBW TO 10000 FT THEN 6000 FT. LEBANON IS SURROUNDED BY HILLS; DIFFICULT TO SEE AND THE OPTIONS WERE A FULL ILS WITH PROC TURN OR A VISUAL. I HAD ONLY BEEN IN THERE ONCE BEFORE; UNDER SIMILAR LIGHTING CONDITIONS; BUT THE OTHER PLT HAD BEEN IN MANY TIMES SO I DECIDED TO LET HIM TALK ME THROUGH A VISUAL APCH. OUR ALT ALERTER WAS INTERMITTENT; SOMETIMES SHOWING A FLAG AND SOMETIMES NOT. WE GOT INTO A DISCUSSION OF ALTS ON THE APCH; AND FOUND OURSELVES AT 4700 FT. WE CALLED BOSTON AND THEY SWITCHED US OVER; DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. THE OTHER PLT IS LEAVING THE COMPANY IN A FEW WKS AND WILL BE SOMEONE ELSE'S PROB. I HATE TO BLAME IT ON HIM BUT HE IS COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE AND HAS LET ME DOWN BEFORE. AS MUCH AS I TRY TO CONCENTRATE AND I KNOW HE'S DANGEROUS -- HE SOMEHOW PULLS ME DOWN TO HIS LEVEL. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THE 'DICEYNESS' OF THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED THE FULL ILS APCH; THEN I COULD HAVE JUST WORRIED ABOUT ONE ALT AT A TIME. 3 PROBS: UNFAMILIAR ARPT IN MOUNTAINS AT NIGHT; BROKEN EQUIP; AND UNRELIABLE CREW MEMBER ARE TWO TOO MANY.
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.