Narrative:

Flight was at 10000 ft MSL on vectors to slc from the south. First officer was PF. Crew had briefed and selected the ILS runway 34L in the FMS. Approach control assigned a heading to intercept the runway 34R localizer and cleared the flight for the ILS runway 34R. First officer reprogrammed the FMS for the ILS runway 34R. The FMS display showed intersections from scoer (D15.5 islc) inbound. Aircraft was outside atane (D17.0 islc not depicted on map). Upon receiving approach clearance; the first officer selected 6100 ft (besbe altitude) on the ap mode control panel; and flight level change for the descent mode. Flight level change provided no protection for subsequent altitude restrs on the approach. I was verifying the FMS programming and ascertaining aircraft position relative to atane intersection as we began our descent. Aircraft was at approximately 9400 ft slightly outside atane (minimum altitude 10000 ft MSL) when I directed the first officer to pull up. Almost simultaneously; approach control called; noted our altitude deviation; and re-cleared us to 9000 ft and cleared us for the approach. First officer had less than two months experience on the B757. His lack of experience and the last-minute runway change caused me to become task-saturated. In the future; I will doubly emphasize crew coordination and communication; which could have mitigated this incident.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his aircraft's FMC was pegasus (pip) upgraded with a short cut allowing a departure/arrival page arrival fix selected inside of the initial approach fix; but outside of the final approach fix. In this case the first officer had been on the aircraft for 1.5 months following a 4 yr furlough. At the time of the event; ATC was reporting moderate turbulence ahead and the reporter was getting the flight attendants seated and briefing passenger. Because of the overload he did not see the shortcut that dropped altitude constraints nor did he see that VNAV was not selected. In any case the aircraft would have descended below the constraints because they were removed even if VNAV were engaged. When the reporter realized the aircraft was below the waypoint altitude he was doing mental math attempting to calculate the aircraft's real position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 WAS GIVEN A LATE RWY CHANGE FROM SLC RWY 34L TO RWY 34R. FOLLOWING FMC REPROGRAMMING AN MCP ALT BELOW THE ALLOWABLE WAS SET CAUSING A LEVEL OFF FOR TERRAIN.

Narrative: FLT WAS AT 10000 FT MSL ON VECTORS TO SLC FROM THE S. FO WAS PF. CREW HAD BRIEFED AND SELECTED THE ILS RWY 34L IN THE FMS. APCH CTL ASSIGNED A HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 34R LOC AND CLRED THE FLT FOR THE ILS RWY 34R. FO REPROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR THE ILS RWY 34R. THE FMS DISPLAY SHOWED INTERSECTIONS FROM SCOER (D15.5 ISLC) INBOUND. ACFT WAS OUTSIDE ATANE (D17.0 ISLC NOT DEPICTED ON MAP). UPON RECEIVING APCH CLRNC; THE FO SELECTED 6100 FT (BESBE ALTITUDE) ON THE AP MODE CTL PANEL; AND FLT LEVEL CHANGE FOR THE DSCNT MODE. FLT LEVEL CHANGE PROVIDED NO PROTECTION FOR SUBSEQUENT ALTITUDE RESTRS ON THE APCH. I WAS VERIFYING THE FMS PROGRAMMING AND ASCERTAINING ACFT POSITION RELATIVE TO ATANE INTERSECTION AS WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT. ACFT WAS AT APPROX 9400 FT SLIGHTLY OUTSIDE ATANE (MINIMUM ALTITUDE 10000 FT MSL) WHEN I DIRECTED THE FO TO PULL UP. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY; APCH CTL CALLED; NOTED OUR ALTITUDE DEVIATION; AND RE-CLEARED US TO 9000 FT AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. FO HAD LESS THAN TWO MONTHS EXPERIENCE ON THE B757. HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND THE LAST-MINUTE RWY CHANGE CAUSED ME TO BECOME TASK-SATURATED. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL DOUBLY EMPHASIZE CREW COORD AND COM; WHICH COULD HAVE MITIGATED THIS INCIDENT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS ACFT'S FMC WAS PEGASUS (PIP) UPGRADED WITH A SHORT CUT ALLOWING A DEP/ARR PAGE ARR FIX SELECTED INSIDE OF THE INITIAL APCH FIX; BUT OUTSIDE OF THE FINAL APCH FIX. IN THIS CASE THE FO HAD BEEN ON THE ACFT FOR 1.5 MONTHS FOLLOWING A 4 YR FURLOUGH. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT; ATC WAS RPTING MODERATE TURB AHEAD AND THE RPTR WAS GETTING THE FLT ATTENDANTS SEATED AND BRIEFING PAX. BECAUSE OF THE OVERLOAD HE DID NOT SEE THE SHORTCUT THAT DROPPED ALT CONSTRAINTS NOR DID HE SEE THAT VNAV WAS NOT SELECTED. IN ANY CASE THE ACFT WOULD HAVE DSNDED BELOW THE CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE THEY WERE REMOVED EVEN IF VNAV WERE ENGAGED. WHEN THE RPTR REALIZED THE ACFT WAS BELOW THE WAYPOINT ALT HE WAS DOING MENTAL MATH ATTEMPTING TO CALCULATE THE ACFT'S REAL POSITION.

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.