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Flight crew of a widebody transport air carrier aircraft overshot visual approach descent recommended altitude resulting in a TCASII warning due to a nearby helicopter crossing through their flight path.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 258555 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199312 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : oak |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 250555 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 258932 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
2-3 mi outside brijj on sfo quiet bridge visual 28R, through a misunderstanding of SOP, I descended to approximately 1500 ft. The recommended altitude at brijj is 1900 ft. I recognized this and was correcting back, when I received a TCASII RA 'descend, descend.' a rotating beacon which by its movement I am sure was a helicopter, passed, descending from above left to right in front of me. I followed the RA and received, 'vertical speed' and 'clear of traffic' immediately. TRACON did not issue a TA. Bay approach gave me an altitude alert as I corrected back to GS which I acknowledged. I continued a normal approach and landed on runway 28R at sfo. In my opinion, the distance between the helicopter and me was much greater than 500 ft and safety was not compromised. I discussed the misunderstanding of SOP with the crew and we agreed we learned an important lesson. I can't stress enough how important it is to strictly follow SOP, especially regarding setting the altitude alert. Both pilots must always be aware and agree upon any changes before they are made.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A WDB ACR ACFT OVERSHOT VISUAL APCH DSCNT RECOMMENDED ALT RESULTING IN A TCASII WARNING DUE TO A NEARBY HELI XING THROUGH THEIR FLT PATH.
Narrative: 2-3 MI OUTSIDE BRIJJ ON SFO QUIET BRIDGE VISUAL 28R, THROUGH A MISUNDERSTANDING OF SOP, I DSNDED TO APPROX 1500 FT. THE RECOMMENDED ALT AT BRIJJ IS 1900 FT. I RECOGNIZED THIS AND WAS CORRECTING BACK, WHEN I RECEIVED A TCASII RA 'DSND, DSND.' A ROTATING BEACON WHICH BY ITS MOVEMENT I AM SURE WAS A HELI, PASSED, DSNDING FROM ABOVE L TO R IN FRONT OF ME. I FOLLOWED THE RA AND RECEIVED, 'VERT SPD' AND 'CLR OF TFC' IMMEDIATELY. TRACON DID NOT ISSUE A TA. BAY APCH GAVE ME AN ALT ALERT AS I CORRECTED BACK TO GS WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. I CONTINUED A NORMAL APCH AND LANDED ON RWY 28R AT SFO. IN MY OPINION, THE DISTANCE BTWN THE HELI AND ME WAS MUCH GREATER THAN 500 FT AND SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED. I DISCUSSED THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF SOP WITH THE CREW AND WE AGREED WE LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON. I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO STRICTLY FOLLOW SOP, ESPECIALLY REGARDING SETTING THE ALT ALERT. BOTH PLTS MUST ALWAYS BE AWARE AND AGREE UPON ANY CHANGES BEFORE THEY ARE MADE.
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.