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An air carrier flight crew flying an MD80 on the pdz 3 arrival to lax misread the arrival chart resulting in an altitude excursion.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 433590 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199904 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : pdz.vor |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc tower : sjc.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : pdz.3 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 433590 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Arriving from mexico on the pdz 3 arrival to lax. This is a new arrival and the first time we have used it. Normally we expect to be over amigo intersection at 16000 ft. We were cleared instead of 16000 ft without restr (just descend from FL240 to 16000 ft). After amigo we saw duedd intersection with a cross at or above 15000 we then looked at the 29 DME written on the chart to identify amigo off pdz and mistakenly assumed the 29 DME was identing duedd intersection. We elected to descend to 15000 ft at 11 DME which was before duedd intersection. Looking back on this, it was a busy arrival and the 29 DME confused us on identing duedd intersection. Fatigue was a factor in our oversight. The day prior to this trip we had worked a very long day and we had what amounted to minimum crew rest with disrupted meals and sleep. Our attention was perhaps not at its peak and that factor combined with a hyper-busy arrival (pdz 3) set us up for the mistake we made.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING AN MD80 ON THE PDZ 3 ARR TO LAX MISREAD THE ARR CHART RESULTING IN AN ALT EXCURSION.
Narrative: ARRIVING FROM MEXICO ON THE PDZ 3 ARR TO LAX. THIS IS A NEW ARR AND THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE USED IT. NORMALLY WE EXPECT TO BE OVER AMIGO INTXN AT 16000 FT. WE WERE CLRED INSTEAD OF 16000 FT WITHOUT RESTR (JUST DSND FROM FL240 TO 16000 FT). AFTER AMIGO WE SAW DUEDD INTXN WITH A CROSS AT OR ABOVE 15000 WE THEN LOOKED AT THE 29 DME WRITTEN ON THE CHART TO IDENT AMIGO OFF PDZ AND MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THE 29 DME WAS IDENTING DUEDD INTXN. WE ELECTED TO DSND TO 15000 FT AT 11 DME WHICH WAS BEFORE DUEDD INTXN. LOOKING BACK ON THIS, IT WAS A BUSY ARR AND THE 29 DME CONFUSED US ON IDENTING DUEDD INTXN. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR IN OUR OVERSIGHT. THE DAY PRIOR TO THIS TRIP WE HAD WORKED A VERY LONG DAY AND WE HAD WHAT AMOUNTED TO MINIMUM CREW REST WITH DISRUPTED MEALS AND SLEEP. OUR ATTN WAS PERHAPS NOT AT ITS PEAK AND THAT FACTOR COMBINED WITH A HYPER-BUSY ARR (PDZ 3) SET US UP FOR THE MISTAKE WE MADE.
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.