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A B727 flight crew experiences an altitude deviation altitude undershot during descent to an assigned altitude of FL270.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 419500 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fak |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 419500 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Center gave a crossing restr to cross 80 DME south of fak at FL270. At the time we were cruising at FL290 at around 120 DME south of fak when instructions were issued. Policy at my airline is to put the altitude (FL270) in the alerter and each pilot point and confirm. We both agreed that FL270 was the crossing altitude, but the captain thought he heard 70 DME and I wrote down 80 DME. I also had the airplane on the autoplt, and it was holding an altitude at cruise of 28980 ft. Well, I misread the altimeter thinking we only had 1000 ft to lose when actually we had 2000 ft. I just read the first 2 digits of the altimeter. Well, I made the 1000 ft altitude change by 80 DME and around 75 DME the captain reminds me of the altitude crossing and at that point I realize 2 things: fist, we both misinterped the clearance, and second that I had misread the altimeter. We were at FL270 by 70 DME however I believed that was not the clearance. I believe it was FL270 by 80 DME, however the controller (ZDC) did not say anything. I believe the contributing factors to be: possible fatigue (I had to be taken off the last leg of the trip in order not to exceed 30 hours in 7 days), crew familiarity possibly breeds laziness, and even though it's not company requirement I always try to verbally confirm xings with PNF -- something I did not do in this case, and at the time ATC was issuing the crossing, a flight attendant was in the cockpit with crew meals.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727 FLC EXPERIENCES AN ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT DURING DSCNT TO AN ASSIGNED ALT OF FL270.
Narrative: CTR GAVE A XING RESTR TO CROSS 80 DME S OF FAK AT FL270. AT THE TIME WE WERE CRUISING AT FL290 AT AROUND 120 DME S OF FAK WHEN INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED. POLICY AT MY AIRLINE IS TO PUT THE ALT (FL270) IN THE ALERTER AND EACH PLT POINT AND CONFIRM. WE BOTH AGREED THAT FL270 WAS THE XING ALT, BUT THE CAPT THOUGHT HE HEARD 70 DME AND I WROTE DOWN 80 DME. I ALSO HAD THE AIRPLANE ON THE AUTOPLT, AND IT WAS HOLDING AN ALT AT CRUISE OF 28980 FT. WELL, I MISREAD THE ALTIMETER THINKING WE ONLY HAD 1000 FT TO LOSE WHEN ACTUALLY WE HAD 2000 FT. I JUST READ THE FIRST 2 DIGITS OF THE ALTIMETER. WELL, I MADE THE 1000 FT ALT CHANGE BY 80 DME AND AROUND 75 DME THE CAPT REMINDS ME OF THE ALT XING AND AT THAT POINT I REALIZE 2 THINGS: FIST, WE BOTH MISINTERPED THE CLRNC, AND SECOND THAT I HAD MISREAD THE ALTIMETER. WE WERE AT FL270 BY 70 DME HOWEVER I BELIEVED THAT WAS NOT THE CLRNC. I BELIEVE IT WAS FL270 BY 80 DME, HOWEVER THE CTLR (ZDC) DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO BE: POSSIBLE FATIGUE (I HAD TO BE TAKEN OFF THE LAST LEG OF THE TRIP IN ORDER NOT TO EXCEED 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS), CREW FAMILIARITY POSSIBLY BREEDS LAZINESS, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT COMPANY REQUIREMENT I ALWAYS TRY TO VERBALLY CONFIRM XINGS WITH PNF -- SOMETHING I DID NOT DO IN THIS CASE, AND AT THE TIME ATC WAS ISSUING THE XING, A FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE COCKPIT WITH CREW MEALS.
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.