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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An air carrier flight crew undershot the depicted altitude on the assigned STAR. The captain (PF) misread the notes that applied to jets landing south, and cites too much information on the arrival as the cause of the flight crew's altitude deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 349907 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199610 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : olm airport : sea |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15700 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zse |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1250 |
| ASRS Report | 349907 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 350220 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The flight was on descent into sea cleared on the olympia 2 arrival and given 'descend via OLM2.' we crossed olm slightly below 16000 ft. The SID says cross the olm VOR at or above 16000 ft. ZSE called approach to inform us of this fact. There were no aircraft conflicts. I misread the SID notes, and thought it said to cross below 16000 ft. It would help if the notes on the plate were a little more clear. The note has turbojets/propellers, landing south or landing north -- all in the same block. It is very easy to misunderstand some of the information. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter reviewed the situation via landline with the approach controller (who had been contacted by the ARTCC radar controller regarding the deviation). In hindsight he believes that this was an unnecessary mistake and that he could have been more careful while reviewing this STAR. The B727 first officer (PNF) told the reporter that he had also misread the arrival instructions. Just prior to this incident the first officer was handling a frequency change and running the checklist.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC UNDERSHOT THE DEPICTED ALT ON THE ASSIGNED STAR. THE CAPT (PF) MISREAD THE NOTES THAT APPLIED TO JETS LNDG S, AND CITES TOO MUCH INFO ON THE ARR AS THE CAUSE OF THE FLC'S ALTDEV.
Narrative: THE FLT WAS ON DSCNT INTO SEA CLRED ON THE OLYMPIA 2 ARR AND GIVEN 'DSND VIA OLM2.' WE CROSSED OLM SLIGHTLY BELOW 16000 FT. THE SID SAYS CROSS THE OLM VOR AT OR ABOVE 16000 FT. ZSE CALLED APCH TO INFORM US OF THIS FACT. THERE WERE NO ACFT CONFLICTS. I MISREAD THE SID NOTES, AND THOUGHT IT SAID TO CROSS BELOW 16000 FT. IT WOULD HELP IF THE NOTES ON THE PLATE WERE A LITTLE MORE CLR. THE NOTE HAS TURBOJETS/PROPS, LNDG S OR LNDG N -- ALL IN THE SAME BLOCK. IT IS VERY EASY TO MISUNDERSTAND SOME OF THE INFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR REVIEWED THE SIT VIA LANDLINE WITH THE APCH CTLR (WHO HAD BEEN CONTACTED BY THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR REGARDING THE DEV). IN HINDSIGHT HE BELIEVES THAT THIS WAS AN UNNECESSARY MISTAKE AND THAT HE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE CAREFUL WHILE REVIEWING THIS STAR. THE B727 FO (PNF) TOLD THE RPTR THAT HE HAD ALSO MISREAD THE ARR INSTRUCTIONS. JUST PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE FO WAS HANDLING A FREQ CHANGE AND RUNNING THE CHKLIST.
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.