Pilot flying a DC8 misinterpreted position and made a turn on the arrival 66 NM early. The mistake w...

Attributes
ACN	329070
Time
Date	199602
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : adm
State Reference	OK
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : frg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	329070
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending on the boids 5 arrival inbound to adm VOR on the 023 degree radial. Supposed to continue to bpr after adm and then turn to 108 degrees for 13 mi to boids. Had the autoplt bug set to turn to 108 degrees, but was using autoplt in turn knob (basically manual) position. When overhead adm engaged autoplt heading select and aircraft turned to 108 degrees. After a few moments I realized I had just passed the adm and bpr vors and was turning 66 mi too early. I disengaged the autoplt and executed a hard right turn. This resulted in a 500 ft climb as well. ATC called and I explained what happened and that I was doing my best to get back to where I belonged. Got back on course and altitude and engaged autoplt. ATC was annoyed but apparently there were no significant problems or traffic conflicts. Landed dfw approximately 20 mins later. I attribute this incident to fatigue. I left my house in massachusetts early in the afternoon on feb/mon/96. Arrived dfw late at night, on mon (commuted). Departed dfw as working crew member almost 4 hours later. Arrived mci and had WX delay and went to hotel about 4 1/2 hours. Departed mci for huf, huf (no hotel) for mci. Departure mci, had course and altitude excursion and arrived dfw early tues night. Hotel by late tues. All in all a pretty long day, but not at all uncommon for us. It just gets harder to do as you get older. Our company's official, unofficial policy is that if WX or other unforeseen circumstance takes you beyond normal flight and duty times, you are expected to get the trip done, period! That being the case and the fact that their position is somewhat supported in the present FARS, it is up to us to be that much more diligent until rule changes occur (if in fact they ever do). If you do not count the commute to work and the 4 1/2 hour hotel break in mci, then duty time did not exceed 16 hours, but the fatigue accumulates nevertheless.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLYING A DC8 MISINTERPRETED POS AND MADE A TURN ON THE ARR 66 NM EARLY. THE MISTAKE WAS CAUGHT, BUT THE ACFT GAINED 500 FT WHILE THE PF TURNED BACK TO PUBLISHED COURSE USING MANUAL FLT. PF ATTRIBUTES THE ERROR TO FATIGUE.

Narrative: DSNDING ON THE BOIDS 5 ARR INBOUND TO ADM VOR ON THE 023 DEG RADIAL. SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE TO BPR AFTER ADM AND THEN TURN TO 108 DEGS FOR 13 MI TO BOIDS. HAD THE AUTOPLT BUG SET TO TURN TO 108 DEGS, BUT WAS USING AUTOPLT IN TURN KNOB (BASICALLY MANUAL) POS. WHEN OVERHEAD ADM ENGAGED AUTOPLT HDG SELECT AND ACFT TURNED TO 108 DEGS. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS I REALIZED I HAD JUST PASSED THE ADM AND BPR VORS AND WAS TURNING 66 MI TOO EARLY. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND EXECUTED A HARD R TURN. THIS RESULTED IN A 500 FT CLB AS WELL. ATC CALLED AND I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT I WAS DOING MY BEST TO GET BACK TO WHERE I BELONGED. GOT BACK ON COURSE AND ALT AND ENGAGED AUTOPLT. ATC WAS ANNOYED BUT APPARENTLY THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT PROBS OR TFC CONFLICTS. LANDED DFW APPROX 20 MINS LATER. I ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO FATIGUE. I LEFT MY HOUSE IN MASSACHUSETTS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON ON FEB/MON/96. ARRIVED DFW LATE AT NIGHT, ON MON (COMMUTED). DEPARTED DFW AS WORKING CREW MEMBER ALMOST 4 HRS LATER. ARRIVED MCI AND HAD WX DELAY AND WENT TO HOTEL ABOUT 4 1/2 HRS. DEPARTED MCI FOR HUF, HUF (NO HOTEL) FOR MCI. DEP MCI, HAD COURSE AND ALT EXCURSION AND ARRIVED DFW EARLY TUES NIGHT. HOTEL BY LATE TUES. ALL IN ALL A PRETTY LONG DAY, BUT NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON FOR US. IT JUST GETS HARDER TO DO AS YOU GET OLDER. OUR COMPANY'S OFFICIAL, UNOFFICIAL POLICY IS THAT IF WX OR OTHER UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCE TAKES YOU BEYOND NORMAL FLT AND DUTY TIMES, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO GET THE TRIP DONE, PERIOD! THAT BEING THE CASE AND THE FACT THAT THEIR POS IS SOMEWHAT SUPPORTED IN THE PRESENT FARS, IT IS UP TO US TO BE THAT MUCH MORE DILIGENT UNTIL RULE CHANGES OCCUR (IF IN FACT THEY EVER DO). IF YOU DO NOT COUNT THE COMMUTE TO WORK AND THE 4 1/2 HR HOTEL BREAK IN MCI, THEN DUTY TIME DID NOT EXCEED 16 HRS, BUT THE FATIGUE ACCUMULATES NEVERTHELESS.

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.

Pilot flying a DC8 misinterpreted position and made a turn on the arrival 66 NM early. The mistake was caught, but the aircraft gained 500 ft while the PF turned back to published course using manual flight. PF attributes the error to fatigue.