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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Light transport commuter cleared to descend to 3000 ft. First officer, PF thought he was cleared for a visual and descended to 2500 ft without clearance. Approach controller cleared them for a visual approach and the problem was solved.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 367822 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199704 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bgr |
| State Reference | ME |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bgr |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 367822 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 7159 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 367460 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Cleared to descend 3000 ft on vector for visual approach. PF re- bugged altitude reminder to 2500 ft prior to receiving approach clearance. Airport was in sight. PNF failed to notice re-bugging of altitude. PF did not point or call out new altitude as is company SOP. PNF may have missed standard altitude callout during descent to 3000 ft, also. As we descend past 3000 ft, bgr approach asked us to confirm we had airport in sight, we did and then cleared us for approach. Both pilots skilled and experienced in aircraft. Crew worked well together. Loss of CRM I feel was due to fatigue as flight was end of a 2 day trip at end of week, with a 2 hour wait to pick up our last leg. Although we were entirely within crew rest legal limits this does not mean you don't get fatigued. Crew rest requirements are unrealistic and need to be changed to reflect the reality of conditions, especially for commuter pilots who work 5 days a week, are only home 4 days a month if commuting, have short, legal, reduced rest overnights where you may only get 5 hours sleep, many times with no supper possible because of late hour.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LTT COMMUTER CLRED TO DSND TO 3000 FT. FO, PF THOUGHT HE WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL AND DSNDED TO 2500 FT WITHOUT CLRNC. APCH CTLR CLRED THEM FOR A VISUAL APCH AND THE PROB WAS SOLVED.
Narrative: CLRED TO DSND 3000 FT ON VECTOR FOR VISUAL APCH. PF RE- BUGGED ALT REMINDER TO 2500 FT PRIOR TO RECEIVING APCH CLRNC. ARPT WAS IN SIGHT. PNF FAILED TO NOTICE RE-BUGGING OF ALT. PF DID NOT POINT OR CALL OUT NEW ALT AS IS COMPANY SOP. PNF MAY HAVE MISSED STANDARD ALT CALLOUT DURING DSCNT TO 3000 FT, ALSO. AS WE DSND PAST 3000 FT, BGR APCH ASKED US TO CONFIRM WE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT, WE DID AND THEN CLRED US FOR APCH. BOTH PLTS SKILLED AND EXPERIENCED IN ACFT. CREW WORKED WELL TOGETHER. LOSS OF CRM I FEEL WAS DUE TO FATIGUE AS FLT WAS END OF A 2 DAY TRIP AT END OF WK, WITH A 2 HR WAIT TO PICK UP OUR LAST LEG. ALTHOUGH WE WERE ENTIRELY WITHIN CREW REST LEGAL LIMITS THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU DON'T GET FATIGUED. CREW REST REQUIREMENTS ARE UNREALISTIC AND NEED TO BE CHANGED TO REFLECT THE REALITY OF CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUTER PLTS WHO WORK 5 DAYS A WK, ARE ONLY HOME 4 DAYS A MONTH IF COMMUTING, HAVE SHORT, LEGAL, REDUCED REST OVERNIGHTS WHERE YOU MAY ONLY GET 5 HRS SLEEP, MANY TIMES WITH NO SUPPER POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF LATE HR.
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.