<< >> NASA ASRS Report 419490, November 1998

A B737-400 is unable to make their altitude crossing at lax when the flight crew fails to program their FMS for the speed restr imposed by aircraft's equipment confign problems.

Attributes
ACN	419490
Time
Date	199811
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	419490
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Unable to meet assigned crossing restr over lax VOR at FL270. Advised ATC of inability to comply with restr and controller stated 'do the best you can.' crossed the VOR approximately 28500 ft. Contributing factors: 60 KT tailwind, aircraft limited to slow speed during cruise and descent due to limitation of flap position indicator lights, and the VNAV descent page inadvertently misprogrammed for the slower speed. In future all 3 pages (climb/crz/des) will be programmed for speed restrs, and altitude/distance xchks will be used to verify an accurate top-of-descent point. In this instance no conflicts were noted with other air traffic and a lesson was well learned.

Related reports:

• An air carrier DC9 was given a descent to 11000 ft and then ...
• Air carrier first officer inadvertently dscnded below the pr...
• A C182 pilot unfamiliar with the aircraft's GPS and autoplt ...
• Controller uses vacated altitude rule and climbs lower air a...
• A wbound A320 advised ARTCC controller that he was respondin...
• A320 flight crew could not make altitude crossing restr even...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 IS UNABLE TO MAKE THEIR ALT XING AT LAX WHEN THE FLC FAILS TO PROGRAM THEIR FMS FOR THE SPD RESTR IMPOSED BY ACFT'S EQUIP CONFIGN PROBS.

Narrative: UNABLE TO MEET ASSIGNED XING RESTR OVER LAX VOR AT FL270. ADVISED ATC OF INABILITY TO COMPLY WITH RESTR AND CTLR STATED 'DO THE BEST YOU CAN.' CROSSED THE VOR APPROX 28500 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 60 KT TAILWIND, ACFT LIMITED TO SLOW SPD DURING CRUISE AND DSCNT DUE TO LIMITATION OF FLAP POS INDICATOR LIGHTS, AND THE VNAV DSCNT PAGE INADVERTENTLY MISPROGRAMMED FOR THE SLOWER SPD. IN FUTURE ALL 3 PAGES (CLB/CRZ/DES) WILL BE PROGRAMMED FOR SPD RESTRS, AND ALT/DISTANCE XCHKS WILL BE USED TO VERIFY AN ACCURATE TOP-OF-DSCNT POINT. IN THIS INSTANCE NO CONFLICTS WERE NOTED WITH OTHER AIR TFC AND A LESSON WAS WELL LEARNED.

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.