Narrative:

Flight was cleared to descend to 14000 MSL and cleared for alegre 1 arrival, expect NDB DME ILS 13R. Flight continued and executed the STAR as published, including the descent from 14000 to 12000 ft to comply with 'cross bog VOR at 12000.' descent was initiated after complying with charted crossing altitude of 14000 ft at the bog VOR 015 degree radial. After landing captain was requested to call tower re: descending to 12000 ft without ATC clearance. It was explained by tower supervisor that they do not expect an automatic descent from 14000 to 12000 ft, although it is published. No member of the crew remembers receiving a limitation from ATC concerning the descent on arrival. If this is in fact what is expected, the arrival plate (pg 10-2) should state 'expect to cross bog VOR at 12000 ft.' at no time were we below any charted minimum altitude. Aircraft is egpws equipped, no alerts or warnings issued. Aircraft is also TCASII equipped, and no TA/RA was issued. TCASII traffic was observed ahead and below our flight, during the arrival and approach (for the other parallel runway). Callback conversation with the reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the flight had been '...cleared for the alegre one arrival, maintain 14000 ft. ' The PIC stated that the restriction to maintain 14000 ft was, because of the design of the approach chart, a temporary one that would be nullified as the aircraft passed the 015 degree radial where that restriction applied. The plate then indicates that the VOR is to be crossed at 12000 ft. Anything higher than that would result in a destabilized approach as the next altitude for the approach is 10500 ft and then onto the descent/approach. Reporter felt that ATC did not handle the flight correctly and that the ATC review later was one of 'posturing' an 'not wanting to admit a mistake.' his company has no record of a problem such as this at bogota. He asked some local carrier pilots about the procedure and they had no knowledge of having to maintain the 14000 ft all the way past the 015 degree radial when cleared the arrival. The airline has taken the issue to their ATC liaison department and ATC in bogota. Reporter is doing a follow up interview with ATC next trip into bogota and will update this information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 PIC'S RPT ON A DEFICIENCY WITHIN THE APCH AND ARRIVAL PROCS AT BOGOTA. CREW WAS CHASTISED FOR DESCENDING TO A LOWER ALT WHEN IN ACCORD WITH APCH ARRIVAL CHART AT SKBO, FO.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 14000 MSL AND CLEARED FOR ALEGRE 1 ARRIVAL, EXPECT NDB DME ILS 13R. FLT CONTINUED AND EXECUTED THE STAR AS PUBLISHED, INCLUDING THE DESCENT FROM 14000 TO 12000 FT TO COMPLY WITH 'CROSS BOG VOR AT 12000.' DESCENT WAS INITIATED AFTER COMPLYING WITH CHARTED CROSSING ALT OF 14000 FT AT THE BOG VOR 015 DEG RADIAL. AFTER LNDG CAPT WAS REQUESTED TO CALL TWR RE: DESCENDING TO 12000 FT WITHOUT ATC CLRNC. IT WAS EXPLAINED BY TWR SUPERVISOR THAT THEY DO NOT EXPECT AN AUTOMATIC DESCENT FROM 14000 TO 12000 FT, ALTHOUGH IT IS PUBLISHED. NO MEMBER OF THE CREW REMEMBERS RECEIVING A LIMITATION FROM ATC CONCERNING THE DESCENT ON ARRIVAL. IF THIS IS IN FACT WHAT IS EXPECTED, THE ARRIVAL PLATE (PG 10-2) SHOULD STATE 'EXPECT TO CROSS BOG VOR AT 12000 FT.' AT NO TIME WERE WE BELOW ANY CHARTED MINIMUM ALT. ACFT IS EGPWS EQUIPPED, NO ALERTS OR WARNINGS ISSUED. ACFT IS ALSO TCASII EQUIPPED, AND NO TA/RA WAS ISSUED. TCASII TFC WAS OBSERVED AHEAD AND BELOW OUR FLT, DURING THE ARRIVAL AND APCH (FOR THE OTHER PARALLEL RWY). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT HAD BEEN '...CLEARED FOR THE ALEGRE ONE ARRIVAL, MAINTAIN 14000 FT. ' THE PIC STATED THAT THE RESTRICTION TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT WAS, BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE APCH CHART, A TEMPORARY ONE THAT WOULD BE NULLIFIED AS THE ACFT PASSED THE 015 DEG RADIAL WHERE THAT RESTRICTION APPLIED. THE PLATE THEN INDICATES THAT THE VOR IS TO BE CROSSED AT 12000 FT. ANYTHING HIGHER THAN THAT WOULD RESULT IN A DESTABILIZED APCH AS THE NEXT ALT FOR THE APCH IS 10500 FT AND THEN ONTO THE DESCENT/APCH. RPTR FELT THAT ATC DID NOT HANDLE THE FLT CORRECTLY AND THAT THE ATC REVIEW LATER WAS ONE OF 'POSTURING' AN 'NOT WANTING TO ADMIT A MISTAKE.' HIS COMPANY HAS NO RECORD OF A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS AT BOGOTA. HE ASKED SOME LOCAL CARRIER PLTS ABOUT THE PROC AND THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF HAVING TO MAINTAIN THE 14000 FT ALL THE WAY PAST THE 015 DEG RADIAL WHEN CLEARED THE ARRIVAL. THE AIRLINE HAS TAKEN THE ISSUE TO THEIR ATC LIAISON DEPT AND ATC IN BOGOTA. RPTR IS DOING A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW WITH ATC NEXT TRIP INTO BOGOTA AND WILL UPDATE THIS INFO.

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.