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An air carrier widebody transport misinterpreted its ATC clearance and descended early on a localizer only approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 234619 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cle |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : cle tower : cle |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : straight in |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 221 flight time total : 20950 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 234619 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 234872 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified 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:
At cle, localizer only ILS to runway 28, I descended prematurely toward minimums prior to parma intersection. On approach plate it's labeled 'radar fix.' tower notified us of a low altitude alert and we climbed back up. The reason I descended was because I misunderstood the approach controller when he said, 'passing parma, contact tower 120.9.' I thought he was giving the radar fix over parma when he was simply giving instructions to change to tower frequency over the fix. Our ADF gave a somewhat ambiguous reading and we did not get the OM indication. We should have been positive about FAF inbound when these 2 indications failed to confirm the 'radar fix.' the long runways were closed for snow plowing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR WDB MISINTERPRETED ITS ATC CLRNC AND DSNDED EARLY ON A LOC ONLY APCH.
Narrative: AT CLE, LOC ONLY ILS TO RWY 28, I DSNDED PREMATURELY TOWARD MINIMUMS PRIOR TO PARMA INTXN. ON APCH PLATE IT'S LABELED 'RADAR FIX.' TWR NOTIFIED US OF A LOW ALT ALERT AND WE CLBED BACK UP. THE REASON I DSNDED WAS BECAUSE I MISUNDERSTOOD THE APCH CTLR WHEN HE SAID, 'PASSING PARMA, CONTACT TWR 120.9.' I THOUGHT HE WAS GIVING THE RADAR FIX OVER PARMA WHEN HE WAS SIMPLY GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ OVER THE FIX. OUR ADF GAVE A SOMEWHAT AMBIGUOUS READING AND WE DID NOT GET THE OM INDICATION. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSITIVE ABOUT FAF INBOUND WHEN THESE 2 INDICATIONS FAILED TO CONFIRM THE 'RADAR FIX.' THE LONG RWYS WERE CLOSED FOR SNOW PLOWING.
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.