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An air carrier MD80 flight crew had the captain misread the approach chart and ordered the first officer to descend too early. The first officer, who apparently was aware of the error, descended because he had visual contact with the tower lead-in lights. The tower controller issued a low altitude warning.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 373990 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cri airport : jfk |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 373990 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 373989 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach to runway 13L at 3000 ft, received clearance to cross the VOR at 1500 ft. After descent from 3000 ft, received a low altitude warning from approach final monitor descending through 1600 ft. Misinterped approach clearance and misread mandatory 3000 ft altitude as asalt at 6 DME. Continued approach and landed without further deviations. Supplemental information from acn 373989: we were visual and I had lead-in lights, so I descended. We were 4 mi early. Tower had no conflict and told us to stay at 1500 ft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC HAD THE CAPT MISREAD THE APCH CHART AND ORDERED THE FO TO DSND TOO EARLY. THE FO, WHO APPARENTLY WAS AWARE OF THE ERROR, DSNDED BECAUSE HE HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TWR LEAD-IN LIGHTS. THE TWR CTLR ISSUED A LOW ALT WARNING.
Narrative: ON APCH TO RWY 13L AT 3000 FT, RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS THE VOR AT 1500 FT. AFTER DSCNT FROM 3000 FT, RECEIVED A LOW ALT WARNING FROM APCH FINAL MONITOR DSNDING THROUGH 1600 FT. MISINTERPED APCH CLRNC AND MISREAD MANDATORY 3000 FT ALT AS ASALT AT 6 DME. CONTINUED APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DEVS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 373989: WE WERE VISUAL AND I HAD LEAD-IN LIGHTS, SO I DSNDED. WE WERE 4 MI EARLY. TWR HAD NO CONFLICT AND TOLD US TO STAY AT 1500 FT.
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.