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Air carrier flight crew tunes wrong VORTAC, descends too soon.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 187362 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199108 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fml airport : clt |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3100 msl bound upper : 3600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : clt |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 187362 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
When we were on approach frequency 126.0 in clt, he (the controller) had an emergency. There was a private airplane with 1 pilot on board and he was disoriented and saying 'I'm going down, I'm going down'. The controller did a great job by talking to him and saying 'you have 2500 ft, just roll your wings level'. This went back and forth for awhile. This controller handed us to the final controller and he vectored us onto the 18L approach. The captain and myself were shook from hearing the pilot in trouble saying, 'I can't do it, I'm going down'. What an eerie feeling. The captain was flying and I've never shot this approach before (personally, myself). On this ILS the DME to descend out of 3600 ft to 3100 ft was off of the fml VOR. We were at 3600 ft and cleared for the approach. I saw we were within the DME to descend so I told the captain to descend to 3100 and set the altitude alerter. The controller told us to maintain 3600 ft like the approach shows. I realized then that I had the clt DME instead of the fml VOR DME and we descended 2 mi too early. The captain climbed back up to 3600 ft and we finished the approach with no problems. I believe the emergency on the other radio distraction us to the point that neither of us caught it until it was too late. I was also unfamiliar with this approach and I should have looked at the DME closer -- never assume.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FLC TUNES WRONG VORTAC, DSNDS TOO SOON.
Narrative: WHEN WE WERE ON APCH FREQ 126.0 IN CLT, HE (THE CTLR) HAD AN EMER. THERE WAS A PRIVATE AIRPLANE WITH 1 PLT ON BOARD AND HE WAS DISORIENTED AND SAYING 'I'M GOING DOWN, I'M GOING DOWN'. THE CTLR DID A GREAT JOB BY TALKING TO HIM AND SAYING 'YOU HAVE 2500 FT, JUST ROLL YOUR WINGS LEVEL'. THIS WENT BACK AND FORTH FOR AWHILE. THIS CTLR HANDED US TO THE FINAL CTLR AND HE VECTORED US ONTO THE 18L APCH. THE CAPT AND MYSELF WERE SHOOK FROM HEARING THE PLT IN TROUBLE SAYING, 'I CAN'T DO IT, I'M GOING DOWN'. WHAT AN EERIE FEELING. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I'VE NEVER SHOT THIS APCH BEFORE (PERSONALLY, MYSELF). ON THIS ILS THE DME TO DSND OUT OF 3600 FT TO 3100 FT WAS OFF OF THE FML VOR. WE WERE AT 3600 FT AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. I SAW WE WERE WITHIN THE DME TO DSND SO I TOLD THE CAPT TO DSND TO 3100 AND SET THE ALT ALERTER. THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 3600 FT LIKE THE APCH SHOWS. I REALIZED THEN THAT I HAD THE CLT DME INSTEAD OF THE FML VOR DME AND WE DSNDED 2 MI TOO EARLY. THE CAPT CLBED BACK UP TO 3600 FT AND WE FINISHED THE APCH WITH NO PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THE EMER ON THE OTHER RADIO DISTR US TO THE POINT THAT NEITHER OF US CAUGHT IT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. I WAS ALSO UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS APCH AND I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE DME CLOSER -- NEVER ASSUME.
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.