 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Captain of a widebody transport overshot assigned altitude during descent resulting in approach radar controller intervention to return to assigned. Captain believed that he was cleared to 5000 ft instead of 9000 ft and acknowledged same to controller. First officer was out of the cockpit and did not hear clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 404811 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bwz airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8300 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 404811 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 404810 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approach cleared flight to a point 5 mi west of bwz at 5000 ft. This is what the clearance was perceived and believed to be acknowledged back to approach. A descent from 10000 ft to 5000 ft was initiated. At 8300 ft the controller asked what the altitude of the aircraft was at and when he was told that the aircraft was at 8300 ft descending to 5000 ft, he said that the clearance was to descend to 9000 ft. An immediate climb to 9000 ft was made. Altitude deviation was 700 ft. After leveloff at 9000 ft, the controller then gave clearance to 5000 ft. The original clearance to 5 mi west of bwz at 5000 ft could not be confirmed by the copilot because he was in the lavatory at the time the clearance was given. There appeared that this deviation caused no conflict with any other traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF A WDB OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT RESULTING IN APCH RADAR CTLR INTERVENTION TO RETURN TO ASSIGNED. CAPT BELIEVED THAT HE WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT INSTEAD OF 9000 FT AND ACKNOWLEDGED SAME TO CTLR. FO WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND DID NOT HEAR CLRNC.
Narrative: APCH CLRED FLT TO A POINT 5 MI W OF BWZ AT 5000 FT. THIS IS WHAT THE CLRNC WAS PERCEIVED AND BELIEVED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BACK TO APCH. A DSCNT FROM 10000 FT TO 5000 FT WAS INITIATED. AT 8300 FT THE CTLR ASKED WHAT THE ALT OF THE ACFT WAS AT AND WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT THE ACFT WAS AT 8300 FT DSNDING TO 5000 FT, HE SAID THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO DSND TO 9000 FT. AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 9000 FT WAS MADE. ALTDEV WAS 700 FT. AFTER LEVELOFF AT 9000 FT, THE CTLR THEN GAVE CLRNC TO 5000 FT. THE ORIGINAL CLRNC TO 5 MI W OF BWZ AT 5000 FT COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED BY THE COPLT BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE LAVATORY AT THE TIME THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN. THERE APPEARED THAT THIS DEV CAUSED NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER TFC.
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.