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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Commuter SF34 is issued descent clearance to 7000 ft by controller trainee. Flight crew read back 6000 ft which is not corrected by the trainee or the controller instructor. Less than standard separation with a BE02 1 mi in trail at 6000 ft. Controllers attempted to stop the SF34's descent at 6800 ft. Operational error pilot deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 363738 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mad |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | SF 340A |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | controller non radar : 5 controller radar : 7 flight time total : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 363738 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
SF34 was given descent to 7000 ft only (6000 ft would be the norm on this route) from 8000 ft by trainee. Pilot read back 6000 ft, not caught by either of us. At 6800 ft we tried to get him back to 7000 ft, but he went to 6500 ft before he climbed. BE02 was 1 mi in trail at 6000 ft, same speed. Contributing factors would be my over-reliance on trainee, who is fairly well along in training, and I am assuming would catch the problem at the outset so I am not listening as intently. Also, the pilot's day in, day out descent from 8000 ft to 6000 ft at that point, probably had him expecting to hear 6000 ft. Only goes to prove the importance of readbacks being heard and understood.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: COMMUTER SF34 IS ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO 7000 FT BY CTLR TRAINEE. FLC READ BACK 6000 FT WHICH IS NOT CORRECTED BY THE TRAINEE OR THE CTLR INSTRUCTOR. LTSS WITH A BE02 1 MI IN TRAIL AT 6000 FT. CTLRS ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE SF34'S DSCNT AT 6800 FT. OPERROR PLTDEV.
Narrative: SF34 WAS GIVEN DSCNT TO 7000 FT ONLY (6000 FT WOULD BE THE NORM ON THIS RTE) FROM 8000 FT BY TRAINEE. PLT READ BACK 6000 FT, NOT CAUGHT BY EITHER OF US. AT 6800 FT WE TRIED TO GET HIM BACK TO 7000 FT, BUT HE WENT TO 6500 FT BEFORE HE CLBED. BE02 WAS 1 MI IN TRAIL AT 6000 FT, SAME SPD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WOULD BE MY OVER-RELIANCE ON TRAINEE, WHO IS FAIRLY WELL ALONG IN TRAINING, AND I AM ASSUMING WOULD CATCH THE PROB AT THE OUTSET SO I AM NOT LISTENING AS INTENTLY. ALSO, THE PLT'S DAY IN, DAY OUT DSCNT FROM 8000 FT TO 6000 FT AT THAT POINT, PROBABLY HAD HIM EXPECTING TO HEAR 6000 FT. ONLY GOES TO PROVE THE IMPORTANCE OF READBACKS BEING HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD.
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.