Air carrier medium large transport controlled flight toward terrain following ATC altitude restricti...

Attributes
ACN	146098
Time
Date	199005
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pom airport : ont
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ont
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	146098
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

Ontario tower assigned a 7000' restriction on pomona four departure. We maintained 7000' MSL and switched to departure control. Departure gave us traffic advisories crossing overhead at 8000'. After we cleared the traffic I could see we were below the surrounding terrain. Realizing there was a MEA of 10000' on this sector and a 14000' restriction at 19 DME I queried departure control about MOCA in this area. It was obvious from his response, 'aren't you in a climb?', that he had forgotten that we had been left at our last assigned altitude of 7000', we received climb clearance and proceeded west/O incident. Had we beem IMC and/or night time and not cognizant of the MEA's it is quite certain that we would have been the lead story for 2 or 3 days on the network evening news.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CONTROLLED FLT TOWARD TERRAIN FOLLOWING ATC ALT RESTRICTION ON SID FROM ONT.

Narrative: ONTARIO TWR ASSIGNED A 7000' RESTRICTION ON POMONA FOUR DEP. WE MAINTAINED 7000' MSL AND SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. DEP GAVE US TFC ADVISORIES XING OVERHEAD AT 8000'. AFTER WE CLRED THE TFC I COULD SEE WE WERE BELOW THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN. REALIZING THERE WAS A MEA OF 10000' ON THIS SECTOR AND A 14000' RESTRICTION AT 19 DME I QUERIED DEP CTL ABOUT MOCA IN THIS AREA. IT WAS OBVIOUS FROM HIS RESPONSE, 'AREN'T YOU IN A CLB?', THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN THAT WE HAD BEEN LEFT AT OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000', WE RECEIVED CLB CLRNC AND PROCEEDED W/O INCIDENT. HAD WE BEEM IMC AND/OR NIGHT TIME AND NOT COGNIZANT OF THE MEA'S IT IS QUITE CERTAIN THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LEAD STORY FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS ON THE NETWORK EVENING NEWS.

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

Air carrier medium large transport controlled flight toward terrain following ATC altitude restriction on SID from ont.