 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Flight crew of a B737 overshot descent altitude during approach transition due to misunderstanding of the ARTCC controller clearance and the controller not responding to a wrong readback by the flight crew.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 465312 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mbj.vor |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : gonis 3 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 465312 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 465320 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During approach to mbj (montego bay, jamaica, at FL180, kingston center assigned a descent to 9000 ft. Shortly thereafter, a clearance was given to 'proceed and descend to mbj via the gonis arrival expect VOR 7 approach.' the clearance was read back exactly that way. At 14 DME the aircraft was turned 45 degrees to be established on the 12 DME arc and a descent was started to 3000 ft, as per the gonis arrival. Kingston handed control of the aircraft off to sangster approach (mbj) who immediately asked our altitude. After repeating what we had interpreted as our instructions, the controller advised that we had not been cleared to 9000 ft. The flight continued to mbj and landed without incident. There was no conflicting traffic in the area at the time. The language of the controller was a large factor in understanding what the clearance actually was.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B737 OVERSHOT DSCNT ALT DURING APCH TRANSITION DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE ARTCC CTLR CLRNC AND THE CTLR NOT RESPONDING TO A WRONG READBACK BY THE FLC.
Narrative: DURING APCH TO MBJ (MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, AT FL180, KINGSTON CTR ASSIGNED A DSCNT TO 9000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO 'PROCEED AND DSND TO MBJ VIA THE GONIS ARR EXPECT VOR 7 APCH.' THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK EXACTLY THAT WAY. AT 14 DME THE ACFT WAS TURNED 45 DEGS TO BE ESTABLISHED ON THE 12 DME ARC AND A DSCNT WAS STARTED TO 3000 FT, AS PER THE GONIS ARR. KINGSTON HANDED CTL OF THE ACFT OFF TO SANGSTER APCH (MBJ) WHO IMMEDIATELY ASKED OUR ALT. AFTER REPEATING WHAT WE HAD INTERPED AS OUR INSTRUCTIONS, THE CTLR ADVISED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO 9000 FT. THE FLT CONTINUED TO MBJ AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. THE LANGUAGE OF THE CTLR WAS A LARGE FACTOR IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CLRNC ACTUALLY WAS.
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.