Narrative:

On descent into atlanta from the west; flying the honie STAR; I deviated from an altitude restriction (12000 ft) by descending early. While descending through 11000 ft; atlanta approach noticed this deviation and requested that we level at 11000 ft. This event was the result of a chain of events. During the initial descent; ATC instructed us to proceed direct to honie; cross honie at 14000 ft; and expect runway 27L. I had already loaded the FMS for this arrival and runway and had checked all routing/altitude/airspeed restrictions against the published product. At some point shortly after passing honie; ATC advised us to expect runway 26L; a change we initially missed. When the pilot monitoring (pm) changed the approach and STAR for the new runway; the FMS had already directed a descent to the next altitude restriction (12000 ft at the point for the initial turn to downwind). Unfortunately; during the FMS change process; the FMS dumped the entire ground track except for the active waypoint; which was only a few miles away. I did notice this because the waypoints disappeared from my navigation display; but what I did not notice was that the autopilot had reverted from VNAV descent to heading hold and vertical speed. Since the lowest altitude for the STAR was still set in the altitude window (4000 ft); the aircraft continued the descent to reach that altitude; resulting in the deviation. Upon reaching the gate; the captain called ATC to discuss the event. ATC personnel advised that the deviation did not result in a loss of separation and that no enforcement was being pursued. ATC simply wanted to know what had happened. I learned several lessons with this event. Listen more intently on the radio for changes. The new STAR procedures that are runway specific require much more effort to fly and monitor since each runway has a specific ground track; it is very difficult to break the mind set (reinforced by flying these stars into atl over and over) that a named STAR now has two different downwinds; dependent upon the assigned runway. If the box dumps; it is probably better to just confess to ATC and request a vector and altitude until you can; at a safe pace; reload the box and rejoin the new STAR ground track. Aviate first; then whatever else -- I became distracted with pulling out and briefing the new approach; instead of monitoring the FMS and aircraft profile during the FMS change process.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE RWY CHANGE ON HONIE RNAV STAR TO ATL RESULTS IN TEMPORARY LOSS OF NAV DISPLAY AND AUTOPLT REVERSION TO NON LNAV MODE. ALT DEV RESULTS.

Narrative: ON DESCENT INTO ATLANTA FROM THE WEST; FLYING THE HONIE STAR; I DEVIATED FROM AN ALTITUDE RESTRICTION (12000 FT) BY DESCENDING EARLY. WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 11000 FT; ATLANTA APPROACH NOTICED THIS DEVIATION AND REQUESTED THAT WE LEVEL AT 11000 FT. THIS EVENT WAS THE RESULT OF A CHAIN OF EVENTS. DURING THE INITIAL DESCENT; ATC INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED DIRECT TO HONIE; CROSS HONIE AT 14000 FT; AND EXPECT RWY 27L. I HAD ALREADY LOADED THE FMS FOR THIS ARRIVAL AND RUNWAY AND HAD CHECKED ALL ROUTING/ALTITUDE/AIRSPEED RESTRICTIONS AGAINST THE PUBLISHED PRODUCT. AT SOME POINT SHORTLY AFTER PASSING HONIE; ATC ADVISED US TO EXPECT RWY 26L; A CHANGE WE INITIALLY MISSED. WHEN THE PILOT MONITORING (PM) CHANGED THE APPROACH AND STAR FOR THE NEW RUNWAY; THE FMS HAD ALREADY DIRECTED A DESCENT TO THE NEXT ALTITUDE RESTRICTION (12000 FT AT THE POINT FOR THE INITIAL TURN TO DOWNWIND). UNFORTUNATELY; DURING THE FMS CHANGE PROCESS; THE FMS DUMPED THE ENTIRE GROUND TRACK EXCEPT FOR THE ACTIVE WAYPOINT; WHICH WAS ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY. I DID NOTICE THIS BECAUSE THE WAYPOINTS DISAPPEARED FROM MY NAVIGATION DISPLAY; BUT WHAT I DID NOT NOTICE WAS THAT THE AUTOPILOT HAD REVERTED FROM VNAV DESCENT TO HEADING HOLD AND VERTICAL SPEED. SINCE THE LOWEST ALTITUDE FOR THE STAR WAS STILL SET IN THE ALTITUDE WINDOW (4000 FT); THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THE DESCENT TO REACH THAT ALTITUDE; RESULTING IN THE DEVIATION. UPON REACHING THE GATE; THE CAPTAIN CALLED ATC TO DISCUSS THE EVENT. ATC PERSONNEL ADVISED THAT THE DEVIATION DID NOT RESULT IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION AND THAT NO ENFORCEMENT WAS BEING PURSUED. ATC SIMPLY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I LEARNED SEVERAL LESSONS WITH THIS EVENT. LISTEN MORE INTENTLY ON THE RADIO FOR CHANGES. THE NEW STAR PROCEDURES THAT ARE RUNWAY SPECIFIC REQUIRE MUCH MORE EFFORT TO FLY AND MONITOR SINCE EACH RUNWAY HAS A SPECIFIC GROUND TRACK; IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO BREAK THE MIND SET (REINFORCED BY FLYING THESE STARS INTO ATL OVER AND OVER) THAT A NAMED STAR NOW HAS TWO DIFFERENT DOWNWINDS; DEPENDENT UPON THE ASSIGNED RUNWAY. IF THE BOX DUMPS; IT IS PROBABLY BETTER TO JUST CONFESS TO ATC AND REQUEST A VECTOR AND ALTITUDE UNTIL YOU CAN; AT A SAFE PACE; RELOAD THE BOX AND REJOIN THE NEW STAR GROUND TRACK. AVIATE FIRST; THEN WHATEVER ELSE -- I BECAME DISTRACTED WITH PULLING OUT AND BRIEFING THE NEW APPROACH; INSTEAD OF MONITORING THE FMS AND AIRCRAFT PROFILE DURING THE FMS CHANGE PROCESS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.