Altitude deviation altitude excursion altitude crossing restr not met when DC9 flight crew misreads ...

Attributes
ACN	359143
Time
Date	199701
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2600 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : iejr
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : straight in arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	359143
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Flight from orf-dtw. First officer flying approach ILS runway 21L dtw with GS OTS. First officer had localizer dialed in for approach radio. I used svm VOR to identify position on localizer. ATC vectored us to intercept localizer at 5000 ft, cleared for approach. First officer intercepted localizer and I determined we were inside of the svm 085 degree radial. I then dialed in the svm 117 degree radial and turned on marker beacon switch to identify the scofi final approach fix. This is where the problem was. The stepdown fixes, robbi, balas, nesbi are supposed to be idented from crl VOR DME. I was using svm VOR. Unfortunately the DME for svm VOR does correspond to the DME's for the stepdown fixes. This got us down to the crossing altitudes early. When we got to 2600 ft MSL, assuming we were about to cross final fix of scofi, ATC advised us to check our altitude. About same time we noticed that DME fix to cross scofi and svm radial 117 degrees didn't correspond. We climbed to 3000 ft MSL. We had slowed to approach speed since we thought we were about to cross final fix for timing. ATC then pulled us out of the approach line because there were other planes behind us. Contributing factors: short overnight in orf and each east coast departure, so different time zone (fatigue). Company policy of full approach brief if WX is less than 2000 ft and 5 mi visibility (ATIS WX 2500 ft and 10 mi) while on approach WX then reported 1600 ft and 10 mi. Confusion with svm radial on approach chart. If we had done a full approach brief we would have probably caught the stepdown fixes should have been off of crl VOR. Corrective actions: eliminate svm radials from approach chart and use dxo VOR DME to identify stepdown fixes, since it is located at dtw airport and better reference for distance from airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION ALT XING RESTR NOT MET WHEN DC9 FLC MISREADS APCH CHART DURING IAP ILS LOC APCH. GS INOP.

Narrative: FLT FROM ORF-DTW. FO FLYING APCH ILS RWY 21L DTW WITH GS OTS. FO HAD LOC DIALED IN FOR APCH RADIO. I USED SVM VOR TO IDENT POS ON LOC. ATC VECTORED US TO INTERCEPT LOC AT 5000 FT, CLRED FOR APCH. FO INTERCEPTED LOC AND I DETERMINED WE WERE INSIDE OF THE SVM 085 DEG RADIAL. I THEN DIALED IN THE SVM 117 DEG RADIAL AND TURNED ON MARKER BEACON SWITCH TO IDENT THE SCOFI FINAL APCH FIX. THIS IS WHERE THE PROB WAS. THE STEPDOWN FIXES, ROBBI, BALAS, NESBI ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IDENTED FROM CRL VOR DME. I WAS USING SVM VOR. UNFORTUNATELY THE DME FOR SVM VOR DOES CORRESPOND TO THE DME'S FOR THE STEPDOWN FIXES. THIS GOT US DOWN TO THE XING ALTS EARLY. WHEN WE GOT TO 2600 FT MSL, ASSUMING WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS FINAL FIX OF SCOFI, ATC ADVISED US TO CHK OUR ALT. ABOUT SAME TIME WE NOTICED THAT DME FIX TO CROSS SCOFI AND SVM RADIAL 117 DEGS DIDN'T CORRESPOND. WE CLBED TO 3000 FT MSL. WE HAD SLOWED TO APCH SPD SINCE WE THOUGHT WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS FINAL FIX FOR TIMING. ATC THEN PULLED US OUT OF THE APCH LINE BECAUSE THERE WERE OTHER PLANES BEHIND US. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SHORT OVERNIGHT IN ORF AND EACH EAST COAST DEP, SO DIFFERENT TIME ZONE (FATIGUE). COMPANY POLICY OF FULL APCH BRIEF IF WX IS LESS THAN 2000 FT AND 5 MI VISIBILITY (ATIS WX 2500 FT AND 10 MI) WHILE ON APCH WX THEN RPTED 1600 FT AND 10 MI. CONFUSION WITH SVM RADIAL ON APCH CHART. IF WE HAD DONE A FULL APCH BRIEF WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY CAUGHT THE STEPDOWN FIXES SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF OF CRL VOR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: ELIMINATE SVM RADIALS FROM APCH CHART AND USE DXO VOR DME TO IDENT STEPDOWN FIXES, SINCE IT IS LOCATED AT DTW ARPT AND BETTER REF FOR DISTANCE FROM ARPT.

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.

Altitude deviation altitude excursion altitude crossing restr not met when DC9 flight crew misreads approach chart during IAP ILS localizer approach. GS inoperative.