 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Pit TRACON controller reports pilots are misreading pit 8 SID departure instructions and are leveling at 1700 ft; below obstructions in the area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 738623 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation V |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure sid : pit 8 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 18 |
| ASRS Report | 738623 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : msaw other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Chart | sid : pit |
Narrative:
A C56X departed runway 28C at pit on an IFR flight plan and requested altitude 3000 ft. The aircraft was assigned the pit 8 SID departure. It depart runway 28C and was assigned an initial heading of 180 degrees. The aircraft called the departure north controller 124.75. This was the wrong frequency. I was working that position and didn't have a strip. When the aircraft checked in level at 1700 ft MSL and heading 180 degrees; I issued an immediate climb to 5000 ft. While this was not the requested altitude; the low altitude alert was going off and towers of 1600 ft MSL and 1800 ft MSL are in the area where the aircraft was. The departure calls for runway heading until 1700 ft MSL then climbing to requested altitude. The aircraft leveled at 1700 ft MSL. This has happened numerous times in the last 6 months. I believe the crew may have misread the SID. There have been several changes to the SID departure and format to address the issue. Both govt and commercial charts are affected. The wording on both needs to be clarified. While I don't immediately have a suggestion for fixing the confusing wording or graphics; I think it would be prudent to stop using the pit 8 SID immediately. We have been through several revisions and the support personnel at pit are aware of the problem. Charting on the other hand has not been responsive to the requests of the pit support personnel. We need to go back to the separate departure procedures and sids before we kill someone.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PIT TRACON CTLR RPTS PLTS ARE MISREADING PIT 8 SID DEP INSTRUCTIONS AND ARE LEVELING AT 1700 FT; BELOW OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AREA.
Narrative: A C56X DEPARTED RWY 28C AT PIT ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND REQUESTED ALTITUDE 3000 FT. THE ACFT WAS ASSIGNED THE PIT 8 SID DEP. IT DEPART RWY 28C AND WAS ASSIGNED AN INITIAL HEADING OF 180 DEGS. THE ACFT CALLED THE DEP N CTLR 124.75. THIS WAS THE WRONG FREQUENCY. I WAS WORKING THAT POSITION AND DIDN'T HAVE A STRIP. WHEN THE ACFT CHECKED IN LEVEL AT 1700 FT MSL AND HEADING 180 DEGS; I ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 5000 FT. WHILE THIS WAS NOT THE REQUESTED ALTITUDE; THE LOW ALTITUDE ALERT WAS GOING OFF AND TOWERS OF 1600 FT MSL AND 1800 FT MSL ARE IN THE AREA WHERE THE ACFT WAS. THE DEP CALLS FOR RWY HEADING UNTIL 1700 FT MSL THEN CLBING TO REQUESTED ALTITUDE. THE ACFT LEVELED AT 1700 FT MSL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. I BELIEVE THE CREW MAY HAVE MISREAD THE SID. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE SID DEP AND FORMAT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. BOTH GOVT AND COMMERCIAL CHARTS ARE AFFECTED. THE WORDING ON BOTH NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED. WHILE I DON'T IMMEDIATELY HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR FIXING THE CONFUSING WORDING OR GRAPHICS; I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO STOP USING THE PIT 8 SID IMMEDIATELY. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL REVISIONS AND THE SUPPORT PERSONNEL AT PIT ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CHARTING ON THE OTHER HAND HAS NOT BEEN RESPONSIVE TO THE REQUESTS OF THE PIT SUPPORT PERSONNEL. WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE SEPARATE DEP PROCS AND SIDS BEFORE WE KILL SOMEONE.
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.