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An A320 aircraft is unable to make the STAR crossing restr due to an error made by the flight crew in programming the FMC.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 288234 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199411 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fqm airport : ewr |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 288234 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Given clearance to cross hayed intersection at 18000 ft, restr was programmed into FMS and VNAV descent begun from 37000 ft. First officer went off ATC to get ATIS and reported some problems with reception. First officer rptedly thought ATIS instructed runway 4L was active. Runway 4R was programmed into FMS. First officer inserted runway 4L into FMS without any communication with captain. In this aircraft, the VNAV will drop out all previously entered restrs from flight plan when a new runway is selected, as such, the 180 crossing restr at hayed intersection was deleted. I happened to notice runway 4L was inserted into FMS, but several mins had passed and we were too high to make restr. The main lesson from this, for both of us, is communication is always important when programming the FMS. Whenever a change is made in the FMS that affects the flight plan, it should be understood by both pilots. The other problem is the software design of the VNAV for the A320 should not delete all restrs on a STAR or SID when just the runway is changed in the flight plan and not the STAR or SID.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 ACFT IS UNABLE TO MAKE THE STAR XING RESTR DUE TO AN ERROR MADE BY THE FLC IN PROGRAMMING THE FMC.
Narrative: GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS HAYED INTXN AT 18000 FT, RESTR WAS PROGRAMMED INTO FMS AND VNAV DSCNT BEGUN FROM 37000 FT. FO WENT OFF ATC TO GET ATIS AND RPTED SOME PROBS WITH RECEPTION. FO RPTEDLY THOUGHT ATIS INSTRUCTED RWY 4L WAS ACTIVE. RWY 4R WAS PROGRAMMED INTO FMS. FO INSERTED RWY 4L INTO FMS WITHOUT ANY COM WITH CAPT. IN THIS ACFT, THE VNAV WILL DROP OUT ALL PREVIOUSLY ENTERED RESTRS FROM FLT PLAN WHEN A NEW RWY IS SELECTED, AS SUCH, THE 180 XING RESTR AT HAYED INTXN WAS DELETED. I HAPPENED TO NOTICE RWY 4L WAS INSERTED INTO FMS, BUT SEVERAL MINS HAD PASSED AND WE WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE RESTR. THE MAIN LESSON FROM THIS, FOR BOTH OF US, IS COM IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT WHEN PROGRAMMING THE FMS. WHENEVER A CHANGE IS MADE IN THE FMS THAT AFFECTS THE FLT PLAN, IT SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY BOTH PLTS. THE OTHER PROB IS THE SOFTWARE DESIGN OF THE VNAV FOR THE A320 SHOULD NOT DELETE ALL RESTRS ON A STAR OR SID WHEN JUST THE RWY IS CHANGED IN THE FLT PLAN AND NOT THE STAR OR SID.
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.