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First officer of a B737-700 descended too soon during an ILS approach due to distraction of watching traffic ahead.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 465565 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : phx.vortac |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon tower : dfw.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 8r other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2800 |
| ASRS Report | 465565 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4800 |
| ASRS Report | 465420 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Cleared to 3000 ft MSL, 110 degree heading, cleared ILS runway 8R approach. Inadvertently began descent to 2800 ft MSL at 13 DME, then climbed back to 3000 ft MSL until 11 DME phx. Distraction by close traffic 2 1/2 mi ahead, and being given 3000 ft MSL instead of 4000 ft MSL as published. I think more spacing between aircraft and being given a standard published altitude would have prevented my early descent.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF A B737-700 DSNDED TOO SOON DURING AN ILS APCH DUE TO DISTR OF WATCHING TFC AHEAD.
Narrative: CLRED TO 3000 FT MSL, 110 DEG HDG, CLRED ILS RWY 8R APCH. INADVERTENTLY BEGAN DSCNT TO 2800 FT MSL AT 13 DME, THEN CLBED BACK TO 3000 FT MSL UNTIL 11 DME PHX. DISTR BY CLOSE TFC 2 1/2 MI AHEAD, AND BEING GIVEN 3000 FT MSL INSTEAD OF 4000 FT MSL AS PUBLISHED. I THINK MORE SPACING BTWN ACFT AND BEING GIVEN A STANDARD PUBLISHED ALT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED MY EARLY DSCNT.
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.