Altitude excursion on tuca 2 arrival to gru, brazil.

Attributes
ACN	494221
Time
Date	200012
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbgr.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4700 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : tuca.2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	494221
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	494270
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While flying the tuca arrival into gru, we were at 6000 ft coming from the north. After making the turn to downwind to the west, I began a descent to 4700 ft in VMC. We should have waited until the turn onto base before beginning the descent to 4700 ft. We noticed the mistake at about the time to turn to base. Sao paulo approach did not mention anything and there was no other traffic in the area and no gpwas warnings were made. We continued and landed uneventfully. We observed on the charts later that the box stating the 6000 ft restr was positioned well above the rest of the chart information. All 3 of the pilots missed the restr. The flight was at the end of a 10 1/2 hour all-nighter. Maybe another example of back-side of the clock flying combined with a procedure that may normally not be a problem turned into a potential problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT EXCURSION ON TUCA 2 ARR TO GRU, BRAZIL.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING THE TUCA ARR INTO GRU, WE WERE AT 6000 FT COMING FROM THE N. AFTER MAKING THE TURN TO DOWNWIND TO THE W, I BEGAN A DSCNT TO 4700 FT IN VMC. WE SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL THE TURN ONTO BASE BEFORE BEGINNING THE DSCNT TO 4700 FT. WE NOTICED THE MISTAKE AT ABOUT THE TIME TO TURN TO BASE. SAO PAULO APCH DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING AND THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA AND NO GPWAS WARNINGS WERE MADE. WE CONTINUED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE OBSERVED ON THE CHARTS LATER THAT THE BOX STATING THE 6000 FT RESTR WAS POSITIONED WELL ABOVE THE REST OF THE CHART INFO. ALL 3 OF THE PLTS MISSED THE RESTR. THE FLT WAS AT THE END OF A 10 1/2 HR ALL-NIGHTER. MAYBE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BACK-SIDE OF THE CLOCK FLYING COMBINED WITH A PROC THAT MAY NORMALLY NOT BE A PROB TURNED INTO A POTENTIAL PROB.

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.