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Reporter questions clearance given by ZSE to descent, pilot's discretion, to 14000' when enroute altitude on arrival chart shows 20000'.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 130583 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198912 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pdt |
| State Reference | OR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 21000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 130583 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Flight was given a bonvl 1 arrival, via a vector to intercept the 241 degree right west of pendleton. The leg from PDT to dufur intersection shows FL200 as a minimum altitude. ATC gave our flight a clearance of pilot's discretion to 14000', approximately 1/2 way between dufur and PDT VOR. The flight descended to 14000' before the dufur intersection. Did we have terrain clearance? Probably, but I neglected to double-check and could have possibly descended below the required altitude. A more forceful watch dog attitude by me might/should have caught the error if there was one. ZSE may have properly issued the descent ATC clearance, and we possibly had the proper altitude clearance--but the fact remains that we should have questioned the descent.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: REPORTER QUESTIONS CLRNC GIVEN BY ZSE TO DESCENT, PLT'S DISCRETION, TO 14000' WHEN ENROUTE ALT ON ARR CHART SHOWS 20000'.
Narrative: FLT WAS GIVEN A BONVL 1 ARR, VIA A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE 241 DEG R W OF PENDLETON. THE LEG FROM PDT TO DUFUR INTXN SHOWS FL200 AS A MINIMUM ALT. ATC GAVE OUR FLT A CLRNC OF PLT'S DISCRETION TO 14000', APPROX 1/2 WAY BTWN DUFUR AND PDT VOR. THE FLT DSNDED TO 14000' BEFORE THE DUFUR INTXN. DID WE HAVE TERRAIN CLRNC? PROBABLY, BUT I NEGLECTED TO DOUBLE-CHK AND COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DSNDED BELOW THE REQUIRED ALT. A MORE FORCEFUL WATCH DOG ATTITUDE BY ME MIGHT/SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR IF THERE WAS ONE. ZSE MAY HAVE PROPERLY ISSUED THE DSCNT ATC CLRNC, AND WE POSSIBLY HAD THE PROPER ALT CLRNC--BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE DSCNT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.