Captain of a dornier DO328, refused a lower en route altitude over high mountainous terrain due to the aircraft's drift down performance in case of 1 engine out. ARTCC controller could not understand this reason for refusing the lower altitude.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	490294
Time
Date	200010
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : rlg.vortac
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Do 328 TP (Turboprop)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	490204
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

After departing gjt we contacted ZDV. They issued a climb to FL230. At FL210 the controller said to stop at FL220. We leveled at FL220 soon after the controller issued a descent to FL190, the first officer read back the clearance. Then I looked at our current weight and isa deviation and told the first officer that we could not take the lower altitude until we were east of rlg VOR because of method 2 driftdown, at the current weight we could not use method 1 for terrain separation. The first officer told the controller we could not descend because of driftdown. At this point the controller became very rude and abusive. The controller said in 15 yrs had never heard of this, then the controller turned us off course 90 degrees for about 5 mins. We were vectored back on course and the controller gave us a phone number to call when we got to den. The rest of the flight was normal. I called dispatch and informed him of the problem. Dispatch said he would contact ZDV about this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DORNIER DO328, REFUSED A LOWER ENRTE ALT OVER HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DUE TO THE ACFT'S DRIFT DOWN PERFORMANCE IN CASE OF 1 ENG OUT. ARTCC CTLR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THIS REASON FOR REFUSING THE LOWER ALT.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING GJT WE CONTACTED ZDV. THEY ISSUED A CLB TO FL230. AT FL210 THE CTLR SAID TO STOP AT FL220. WE LEVELED AT FL220 SOON AFTER THE CTLR ISSUED A DSCNT TO FL190, THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC. THEN I LOOKED AT OUR CURRENT WT AND ISA DEV AND TOLD THE FO THAT WE COULD NOT TAKE THE LOWER ALT UNTIL WE WERE E OF RLG VOR BECAUSE OF METHOD 2 DRIFTDOWN, AT THE CURRENT WT WE COULD NOT USE METHOD 1 FOR TERRAIN SEPARATION. THE FO TOLD THE CTLR WE COULD NOT DSND BECAUSE OF DRIFTDOWN. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR BECAME VERY RUDE AND ABUSIVE. THE CTLR SAID IN 15 YRS HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS, THEN THE CTLR TURNED US OFF COURSE 90 DEGS FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. WE WERE VECTORED BACK ON COURSE AND THE CTLR GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN WE GOT TO DEN. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL. I CALLED DISPATCH AND INFORMED HIM OF THE PROB. DISPATCH SAID HE WOULD CONTACT ZDV ABOUT THIS.

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.