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An MD83 flight crew misinterprets their clearance and descend to 2000 ft versus 3000 ft 10 mi north of sat, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 472195 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sat.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sat.tracon tracon : t75.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-83 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 190 |
| ASRS Report | 472195 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We started a 13 hour duty day off a short 10 hour layover in msp. On the 4TH leg, stl-sat, we were delayed 25 mins for difficulty with the start valves opening, which cut into our planned short 11 hour layover. On approach to sat ILS runway 12R, it seemed to us that there was little traffic and were planning on ATC vectoring us close in on final. I, the first officer was flying. I found my workload high trying to descend rapidly on vectors, fatigued after the long day. The captain heard and read back a descent to 2000 ft, which I complied with. Level at 2000 ft on base I did not notice we seemed low, but figured it was since we were fairly close in. Texas being flat and having what we believed to be a clearance to 2000 ft gave me little cause for alarm. ATC then called and said they wanted us to maintain 3000 ft. I immediately added power and climbed to 3000 ft. We could not be sure if it was us who mistakenly heard and read back 2000 ft or if the controller had issued us a descent to 2000 ft then discovered the mistake. At our lowest, we were 1200 ft AGL and cleared all obstacles by at least 500 ft. The approach and landing were uneventfully completed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD83 FLC MISINTERPRETS THEIR CLRNC AND DSND TO 2000 FT VERSUS 3000 FT 10 MI N OF SAT, TX.
Narrative: WE STARTED A 13 HR DUTY DAY OFF A SHORT 10 HR LAYOVER IN MSP. ON THE 4TH LEG, STL-SAT, WE WERE DELAYED 25 MINS FOR DIFFICULTY WITH THE START VALVES OPENING, WHICH CUT INTO OUR PLANNED SHORT 11 HR LAYOVER. ON APCH TO SAT ILS RWY 12R, IT SEEMED TO US THAT THERE WAS LITTLE TFC AND WERE PLANNING ON ATC VECTORING US CLOSE IN ON FINAL. I, THE FO WAS FLYING. I FOUND MY WORKLOAD HIGH TRYING TO DSND RAPIDLY ON VECTORS, FATIGUED AFTER THE LONG DAY. THE CAPT HEARD AND READ BACK A DSCNT TO 2000 FT, WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. LEVEL AT 2000 FT ON BASE I DID NOT NOTICE WE SEEMED LOW, BUT FIGURED IT WAS SINCE WE WERE FAIRLY CLOSE IN. TEXAS BEING FLAT AND HAVING WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE A CLRNC TO 2000 FT GAVE ME LITTLE CAUSE FOR ALARM. ATC THEN CALLED AND SAID THEY WANTED US TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED PWR AND CLBED TO 3000 FT. WE COULD NOT BE SURE IF IT WAS US WHO MISTAKENLY HEARD AND READ BACK 2000 FT OR IF THE CTLR HAD ISSUED US A DSCNT TO 2000 FT THEN DISCOVERED THE MISTAKE. AT OUR LOWEST, WE WERE 1200 FT AGL AND CLRED ALL OBSTACLES BY AT LEAST 500 FT. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFULLY COMPLETED.
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.