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Flight crew of air carrier widebody transport aircraft overshot descent clearance altitude due to the PF's misunderstanding of the clearance altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 241847 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199305 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tia |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 21000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : rctp |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 29 flight time total : 14300 flight time type : 5400 |
| ASRS Report | 241847 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 6300 |
| ASRS Report | 241307 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Prior to descent, tpe control issued descent clearance to flight to 'descend at pilot's discretion (from FL330 to FL210). Captain read back clearance, first officer heard clearance as 10000 ft and set altitude select to 10000 ft. Captain then excused himself from cockpit without noticing incorrect setting. Just prior to captain's return to cockpit first officer initiated descent with a call to tpe control stating 'flight XXX leaving FL330 for 10000 ft.' tpe control 'roger.' no readback correction received. Immediately upon captain's return to cockpit captain questioned altitude clearance level. At approximately the same time tpe control requested altitude passing, approximately 19000 ft, and clearance level. First officer reiterated clearance readback to be 'cleared to 10000 ft.' tpe then reclred flight to 15000 ft. Aircraft received no further communication on clearance. Flight proceeded in VMC to destination. Crew believes major contributing factors to be poor audio reception combined with poor ennunciation by controller, no readback correction, and unfortunate timing of captain having to leave cockpit.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF ACR WDB ACFT OVERSHOT DSCNT CLRNC ALT DUE TO THE PF'S MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE CLRNC ALT.
Narrative: PRIOR TO DSCNT, TPE CTL ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO FLT TO 'DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION (FROM FL330 TO FL210). CAPT READ BACK CLRNC, FO HEARD CLRNC AS 10000 FT AND SET ALT SELECT TO 10000 FT. CAPT THEN EXCUSED HIMSELF FROM COCKPIT WITHOUT NOTICING INCORRECT SETTING. JUST PRIOR TO CAPT'S RETURN TO COCKPIT FO INITIATED DSCNT WITH A CALL TO TPE CTL STATING 'FLT XXX LEAVING FL330 FOR 10000 FT.' TPE CTL 'ROGER.' NO READBACK CORRECTION RECEIVED. IMMEDIATELY UPON CAPT'S RETURN TO COCKPIT CAPT QUESTIONED ALT CLRNC LEVEL. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME TPE CTL REQUESTED ALT PASSING, APPROX 19000 FT, AND CLRNC LEVEL. FO REITERATED CLRNC READBACK TO BE 'CLRED TO 10000 FT.' TPE THEN RECLRED FLT TO 15000 FT. ACFT RECEIVED NO FURTHER COM ON CLRNC. FLT PROCEEDED IN VMC TO DEST. CREW BELIEVES MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO BE POOR AUDIO RECEPTION COMBINED WITH POOR ENNUNCIATION BY CTLR, NO READBACK CORRECTION, AND UNFORTUNATE TIMING OF CAPT HAVING TO LEAVE COCKPIT.
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.