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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A B727-200 flight crew answers to a wrong call sign and creates an altitude excursion going into the den area. Crew had been discussing a fuel flow readout that had their previous attention. First officer jumped the gun and set his own altitude alert.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398980 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : den |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12400 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : den |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 398980 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 399307 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| 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:
Read back clearance to descend from 13000 ft to 11000 ft that belonged to another flight. Queried the controller to confirm our assigned altitude. Directed to maintain 13000 ft. Aircraft had descended to 12400 ft by the time clarification was received. Returned to 13000 ft. No traffic conflict. Supplemental information from acn 399307: we were on a vector heading of 090 degrees at 13000 ft MSL. There was little to no radio traffic and we had just mentioned fuel flow on #1 engine looked normal now (fuel flow on #1 engine was low in cruise compared to #2 and #3 engines). In mid sentence, approach gave a very curt clearance to 11000 ft and we took that to be our clearance. First officer set 11000 ft MSL into altitude selector and started down. Acknowledged clearance to 11000 ft. Approach control came on radio and chastised all on frequency to 'listen up -- he was extremely busy and call sign he gave clearance to was not close to who answered.' he informed us that 13000 ft MSL was our clearance and that we accepted another aircraft's clearance. In talking to den TRACON supervisor after arriving, I was advised that the controller was working 2 frequencys and was extremely busy on other frequency. Not realizing the controller's workload and not demanding a clear call sign on our part led to this deviation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727-200 FLC ANSWERS TO A WRONG CALL SIGN AND CREATES AN ALT EXCURSION GOING INTO THE DEN AREA. CREW HAD BEEN DISCUSSING A FUEL FLOW READOUT THAT HAD THEIR PREVIOUS ATTN. FO JUMPED THE GUN AND SET HIS OWN ALT ALERT.
Narrative: READ BACK CLRNC TO DSND FROM 13000 FT TO 11000 FT THAT BELONGED TO ANOTHER FLT. QUERIED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM OUR ASSIGNED ALT. DIRECTED TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT. ACFT HAD DSNDED TO 12400 FT BY THE TIME CLARIFICATION WAS RECEIVED. RETURNED TO 13000 FT. NO TFC CONFLICT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 399307: WE WERE ON A VECTOR HDG OF 090 DEGS AT 13000 FT MSL. THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO RADIO TFC AND WE HAD JUST MENTIONED FUEL FLOW ON #1 ENG LOOKED NORMAL NOW (FUEL FLOW ON #1 ENG WAS LOW IN CRUISE COMPARED TO #2 AND #3 ENGS). IN MID SENTENCE, APCH GAVE A VERY CURT CLRNC TO 11000 FT AND WE TOOK THAT TO BE OUR CLRNC. FO SET 11000 FT MSL INTO ALT SELECTOR AND STARTED DOWN. ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC TO 11000 FT. APCH CTL CAME ON RADIO AND CHASTISED ALL ON FREQ TO 'LISTEN UP -- HE WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND CALL SIGN HE GAVE CLRNC TO WAS NOT CLOSE TO WHO ANSWERED.' HE INFORMED US THAT 13000 FT MSL WAS OUR CLRNC AND THAT WE ACCEPTED ANOTHER ACFT'S CLRNC. IN TALKING TO DEN TRACON SUPVR AFTER ARRIVING, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE CTLR WAS WORKING 2 FREQS AND WAS EXTREMELY BUSY ON OTHER FREQ. NOT REALIZING THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD AND NOT DEMANDING A CLR CALL SIGN ON OUR PART LED TO THIS DEV.
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.