B737 flight crew proceeding direct gleam for ILS runway 31C at mdw is told to circle to land runway ...

Attributes
ACN	755891
Time
Date	200710
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Navigation In Use	ils localizer only : 31l other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : circling approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 217 flight time type : 10450
ASRS Report	744891
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 274 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	755889
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Returning from a divert due to earlier fog at mdw; was cleared for a visual approach and told to cross gleam at 4000 ft. First officer was flying; and just prior to the event; the winds had changed and a new ATIS was put out. The controller advised us and two aircraft ahead of us to do the ILS runway 31C circle to runway 22L. Also; within a couple of minutes of this; the controller also advised that maintenance had taken the GS OTS so he actually cleared us for the ILS runway 31C glideslope out circle to runway 22L. We had planned on the straight in for runway 31C and since the landing distance was not 'maximum braking' the first officer was set to land. Having run both runways; I pulled the opc to check to see if he could now continue to land on runway 22L. During all these changes; when I looked up the first officer had descended out of 4000 ft prior to gleam; actually crossing gleam at around 3200 ft. We were visual and the controller did not say anything so we continued the approach and landed on runway 22L. The workload always can increase rapidly during changing WX conditions; and in this case; a lot of changes were given during a busy time in the approach. Probably the safest crosscheck during this type of activity would be not to preset the altitude window until passing the intersection to ensure an altitude change wasn't made early with the distractions at hand.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW PROCEEDING DIRECT GLEAM FOR ILS RWY 31C AT MDW IS TOLD TO CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 22L; 31C GS NOW OTS. FO DESCENDS BELOW 4000 FT PRIOR TO GLEAM AS CAPT PROGRAMS FMC.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM A DIVERT DUE TO EARLIER FOG AT MDW; WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND TOLD TO CROSS GLEAM AT 4000 FT. FO WAS FLYING; AND JUST PRIOR TO THE EVENT; THE WINDS HAD CHANGED AND A NEW ATIS WAS PUT OUT. THE CTLR ADVISED US AND TWO ACFT AHEAD OF US TO DO THE ILS RWY 31C CIRCLE TO RWY 22L. ALSO; WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF THIS; THE CTLR ALSO ADVISED THAT MAINT HAD TAKEN THE GS OTS SO HE ACTUALLY CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 31C GLIDESLOPE OUT CIRCLE TO RWY 22L. WE HAD PLANNED ON THE STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 31C AND SINCE THE LNDG DISTANCE WAS NOT 'MAX BRAKING' THE FO WAS SET TO LAND. HAVING RUN BOTH RWYS; I PULLED THE OPC TO CHECK TO SEE IF HE COULD NOW CONTINUE TO LAND ON RWY 22L. DURING ALL THESE CHANGES; WHEN I LOOKED UP THE FO HAD DSNDED OUT OF 4000 FT PRIOR TO GLEAM; ACTUALLY CROSSING GLEAM AT AROUND 3200 FT. WE WERE VISUAL AND THE CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING SO WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED ON RWY 22L. THE WORKLOAD ALWAYS CAN INCREASE RAPIDLY DURING CHANGING WX CONDITIONS; AND IN THIS CASE; A LOT OF CHANGES WERE GIVEN DURING A BUSY TIME IN THE APCH. PROBABLY THE SAFEST CROSSCHECK DURING THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY WOULD BE NOT TO PRESET THE ALTITUDE WINDOW UNTIL PASSING THE INTERSECTION TO ENSURE AN ALTITUDE CHANGE WASN'T MADE EARLY WITH THE DISTRACTIONS AT HAND.

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.

B737 flight crew proceeding direct gleam for ILS runway 31C at mdw is told to circle to land runway 22L; 31C GS now OTS. First officer descends below 4000 ft prior to gleam as captain programs FMC.