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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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The flight crew was cleared to enter downwind for runway 16R after having been assigned heading 350 degrees and 3000 ft. The flight crew wrongly believed for the moment they were 'cleared for the visual' and their 3000 ft altitude assignment was thereby lifted. At what point in their arrival TRACON informed the flight crew they had not actually been 'cleared for the visual' was not stated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 325770 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : smf |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : smf |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 325770 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were talking to approach and were assigned heading 350 degrees and 3000 ft. Later we were told enter the downwind for runway 16R. After I turned to enter the downwind and slowed to the required 200 KTS, I assumed I was cleared for the visual, not just 'own navigation' to the downwind, and started my descent. This was the last leg of two very hard and long days with lots of duty time and takeoffs and lndgs. My first officer and I were both too tired to catch an obvious mistake. I occasionally hand fly the plane to keep proficiency as I was doing on this occasion. In the future when I am tired I plan to keep the autoplt on until actually cleared for the visual. This will let me spend more mental energy on the whole situation and not so much on just flying the plane.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE FLC WAS CLRED TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16R AFTER HAVING BEEN ASSIGNED HEADING 350 DEGS AND 3000 FT. THE FLC WRONGLY BELIEVED FOR THE MOMENT THEY WERE 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL' AND THEIR 3000 FT ALT ASSIGNMENT WAS THEREBY LIFTED. AT WHAT POINT IN THEIR ARR TRACON INFORMED THE FLC THEY HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL' WAS NOT STATED.
Narrative: WE WERE TALKING TO APCH AND WERE ASSIGNED HEADING 350 DEGS AND 3000 FT. LATER WE WERE TOLD ENTER THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16R. AFTER I TURNED TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND AND SLOWED TO THE REQUIRED 200 KTS, I ASSUMED I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, NOT JUST 'OWN NAV' TO THE DOWNWIND, AND STARTED MY DSCNT. THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF TWO VERY HARD AND LONG DAYS WITH LOTS OF DUTY TIME AND TKOFS AND LNDGS. MY FO AND I WERE BOTH TOO TIRED TO CATCH AN OBVIOUS MISTAKE. I OCCASIONALLY HAND FLY THE PLANE TO KEEP PROFICIENCY AS I WAS DOING ON THIS OCCASION. IN THE FUTURE WHEN I AM TIRED I PLAN TO KEEP THE AUTOPLT ON UNTIL ACTUALLY CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. THIS WILL LET ME SPEND MORE MENTAL ENERGY ON THE WHOLE SIT AND NOT SO MUCH ON JUST FLYING THE PLANE.
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.