Narrative:

Prior to descent briefed final approach course and standard VFR briefing with 10-7C/D and ILS runway 13R pages from manual. After delmo was at 210 KTS and ready to get configured early. We were heavy and had about 30 KT tw passing ranger when we were cleared to 5000 ft. Full speed brake and 210 trying to hurry down. Company arrival from north on same frequency; then reported they could not acquire field visually; and were given a vector for the ILS runway 13C. We were then told to expect ILS Z runway 13C. This was the first I ever even knew there was such an approach into dal. Had to divert our attention from situation to get out runway 13 Z ILS runway 13C chart. Got a quick glance at the 11-8 page when company ahead called field in sight and was cleared for the visual. We were then told by ATC 'cleared for the ILS.' I called for F5 and started to slow. I then on the FMC switched from legs page to progress page to check on distance remaining and saw that we were about 11 miles to touchdown and about 5500 ft. Still IMC. I called for F15 and switched from navigation mode to VOR/localizer mode and saw that the localizer was being captured. I glanced at the chart as we quickly descended through 5500 ft and asked first officer if setting 1900 ft looked right in the altitude window on autopilot control panel. He said yes and I asked for F30. As we descended through 5000 ft; I went back to legs page and noticed we were still outside of hurbs by about 2 miles. I wasn't sure at this point of what altitude I was cleared to and had a bad feeling. I glanced again at the 11-8 and saw hurbs depicted with the number 5000 ft on the horizontal depiction. As I leveled off the airplane at 4500 ft and started a slight climb; we crossed over hurbs at approximately 4600 ft MSL. At the same time we had a TCAS alert of an aircraft approximately 1900 ft below us. I think our high sink rate set the warning off. They were no factor; and it went away immediately with no further warning. Also; at the same time; ATC asked us what altitude we were descending to and we answered that we were past hurbs and were descending on the ILS. ATC told us to contact the tower with no further request for call back or any other indication there was a problem; but I knew we missed hurbs at 5000 ft by at least 500 feet. Rest of approach was normal as we were stabilized and field in sight by 6 miles from dal. Based on ATC calls to other aircraft; I believe dfw was using 18's for arrival. First; the 10-7C/D was very informative and studying it at the gate and en route made me confident that I was prepared for the arrival. What I would change on the 10-7C/D would be where it mentions hurbs at 4000 ft at least four times. I think it should be changed to add in that the 11-8 ILS Z runway 13R has a 5000 foot crossing restriction for hurbs. Also; I don't believe that the 10-7C/D mentions the ILS Z runway 13R approach at all. An information box that includes the information that one could expect in IMC to get the ILS Z runway 13R would have helped clue me in and helped us to be better prepared for unexpected IFR arrival. This whole episode described above happened in a very short time span and we were task saturated and missed a critical altitude restriction. ATC also could have done better as well. My experience has been that 99.9% of the time you're 'cleared for the approach' there is usually more said. A call such as 'maintain 5000 ft until hurbs; cleared for the ILS Z runway 13R' would have solved the whole problem. We were rushed into the approach with hardly any time to review at all to review the 11-8. Again; it would help the next unfamiliar crew good to add that information to the 10-7C/D page so that crews that rarely; if ever; fly through dal could be better prepared when conditions and clearances change quickly while heavy; with a tailwind; IMC; etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW HAD ALT DEV DURING APCH TO DAL.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DESCENT BRIEFED FINAL APPROACH COURSE AND STANDARD VFR BRIEFING WITH 10-7C/D AND ILS RWY 13R PAGES FROM MANUAL. AFTER DELMO WAS AT 210 KTS AND READY TO GET CONFIGURED EARLY. WE WERE HEAVY AND HAD ABOUT 30 KT TW PASSING RANGER WHEN WE WERE CLEARED TO 5000 FT. FULL SPD BRAKE AND 210 TRYING TO HURRY DOWN. COMPANY ARRIVAL FROM NORTH ON SAME FREQUENCY; THEN REPORTED THEY COULD NOT ACQUIRE FIELD VISUALLY; AND WERE GIVEN A VECTOR FOR THE ILS RWY 13C. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO EXPECT ILS Z RWY 13C. THIS WAS THE FIRST I EVER EVEN KNEW THERE WAS SUCH AN APPROACH INTO DAL. HAD TO DIVERT OUR ATTENTION FROM SITUATION TO GET OUT RWY 13 Z ILS RWY 13C CHART. GOT A QUICK GLANCE AT THE 11-8 PAGE WHEN COMPANY AHEAD CALLED FIELD IN SIGHT AND WAS CLEARED FOR THE VISUAL. WE WERE THEN TOLD BY ATC 'CLEARED FOR THE ILS.' I CALLED FOR F5 AND STARTED TO SLOW. I THEN ON THE FMC SWITCHED FROM LEGS PAGE TO PROGRESS PAGE TO CHECK ON DISTANCE REMAINING AND SAW THAT WE WERE ABOUT 11 MILES TO TOUCHDOWN AND ABOUT 5500 FT. STILL IMC. I CALLED FOR F15 AND SWITCHED FROM NAV MODE TO VOR/LOC MODE AND SAW THAT THE LOC WAS BEING CAPTURED. I GLANCED AT THE CHART AS WE QUICKLY DESCENDED THROUGH 5500 FT AND ASKED FO IF SETTING 1900 FT LOOKED RIGHT IN THE ALT WINDOW ON AUTOPILOT CONTROL PANEL. HE SAID YES AND I ASKED FOR F30. AS WE DESCENDED THROUGH 5000 FT; I WENT BACK TO LEGS PAGE AND NOTICED WE WERE STILL OUTSIDE OF HURBS BY ABOUT 2 MILES. I WASN'T SURE AT THIS POINT OF WHAT ALTITUDE I WAS CLEARED TO AND HAD A BAD FEELING. I GLANCED AGAIN AT THE 11-8 AND SAW HURBS DEPICTED WITH THE NUMBER 5000 FT ON THE HORIZONTAL DEPICTION. AS I LEVELED OFF THE AIRPLANE AT 4500 FT AND STARTED A SLIGHT CLIMB; WE CROSSED OVER HURBS AT APPROXIMATELY 4600 FT MSL. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAD A TCAS ALERT OF AN AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 1900 FT BELOW US. I THINK OUR HIGH SINK RATE SET THE WARNING OFF. THEY WERE NO FACTOR; AND IT WENT AWAY IMMEDIATELY WITH NO FURTHER WARNING. ALSO; AT THE SAME TIME; ATC ASKED US WHAT ALTITUDE WE WERE DESCENDING TO AND WE ANSWERED THAT WE WERE PAST HURBS AND WERE DESCENDING ON THE ILS. ATC TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TOWER WITH NO FURTHER REQUEST FOR CALL BACK OR ANY OTHER INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM; BUT I KNEW WE MISSED HURBS AT 5000 FT BY AT LEAST 500 FEET. REST OF APPROACH WAS NORMAL AS WE WERE STABILIZED AND FIELD IN SIGHT BY 6 MILES FROM DAL. BASED ON ATC CALLS TO OTHER AIRCRAFT; I BELIEVE DFW WAS USING 18'S FOR ARRIVAL. FIRST; THE 10-7C/D WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND STUDYING IT AT THE GATE AND ENRTE MADE ME CONFIDENT THAT I WAS PREPARED FOR THE ARRIVAL. WHAT I WOULD CHANGE ON THE 10-7C/D WOULD BE WHERE IT MENTIONS HURBS AT 4000 FT AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. I THINK IT SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ADD IN THAT THE 11-8 ILS Z RWY 13R HAS A 5000 FOOT CROSSING RESTRICTION FOR HURBS. ALSO; I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE 10-7C/D MENTIONS THE ILS Z RWY 13R APPROACH AT ALL. AN INFO BOX THAT INCLUDES THE INFORMATION THAT ONE COULD EXPECT IN IMC TO GET THE ILS Z RWY 13R WOULD HAVE HELPED CLUE ME IN AND HELPED US TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR UNEXPECTED IFR ARRIVAL. THIS WHOLE EPISODE DESCRIBED ABOVE HAPPENED IN A VERY SHORT TIME SPAN AND WE WERE TASK SATURATED AND MISSED A CRITICAL ALTITUDE RESTRICTION. ATC ALSO COULD HAVE DONE BETTER AS WELL. MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT 99.9% OF THE TIME YOU'RE 'CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH' THERE IS USUALLY MORE SAID. A CALL SUCH AS 'MAINTAIN 5000 FT UNTIL HURBS; CLEARED FOR THE ILS Z RWY 13R' WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE WHOLE PROBLEM. WE WERE RUSHED INTO THE APPROACH WITH HARDLY ANY TIME TO REVIEW AT ALL TO REVIEW THE 11-8. AGAIN; IT WOULD HELP THE NEXT UNFAMILIAR CREW GOOD TO ADD THAT INFO TO THE 10-7C/D PAGE SO THAT CREWS THAT RARELY; IF EVER; FLY THROUGH DAL COULD BE BETTER PREPARED WHEN CONDITIONS AND CLEARANCES CHANGE QUICKLY WHILE HEAVY; WITH A TAILWIND; IMC; ETC.

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.