747-400 crew had altitude deviation on a missed approach in lax class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	497424
Time
Date	200101
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	other
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 25l other other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	497424
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	498121
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : flt crew 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : executed go around none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On approach to lax departing smo, 070 degree heading, 7000 ft, cleared to 3500 ft. Asked if we had airport. Said no due to haze layer. At 6000 ft ATC gave us a 220 degree heading inside marker. Recognized at about 3000 ft that we would be too high to land. Advised to continue descent to 2000 ft and continue to VOR. Descended to about 2200-2300 ft, then during flap retraction went back to 2500 ft before correcting back to 2000 ft. Then cleared to 3000 ft and a left turn for another approach. We erred in accepting too close of a turn in for initial approach. In the future, I would suggest first officer leave autoplt on to manage workload until landing assured. Fatigue from 14+ hour flight may have been a factor as well as ATC trying to do visuals with a heavy haze layer from 2000-4000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 498121: ATC vectored us inside the OM. We finally saw runway 25L, determined too high for safe approach and reported going around. ATC told us to fly 250 degree heading and descend to 2000 ft. Descending through 2500 ft, we were raising flaps and turning to new heading 160 degrees when airplane inadvertently climbed to 2500 ft. We immediately restored descent to 2000 ft and turned to new heading 070 degrees. The incident teaches better use of flight mode annunciations and better attention to airplane pitch change during flap retraction. Also teaches better judgement in accepting vectors to visual in hazy flight conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 747-400 CREW HAD ALTDEV ON A MISSED APCH IN LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON APCH TO LAX DEPARTING SMO, 070 DEG HDG, 7000 FT, CLRED TO 3500 FT. ASKED IF WE HAD ARPT. SAID NO DUE TO HAZE LAYER. AT 6000 FT ATC GAVE US A 220 DEG HDG INSIDE MARKER. RECOGNIZED AT ABOUT 3000 FT THAT WE WOULD BE TOO HIGH TO LAND. ADVISED TO CONTINUE DSCNT TO 2000 FT AND CONTINUE TO VOR. DSNDED TO ABOUT 2200-2300 FT, THEN DURING FLAP RETRACTION WENT BACK TO 2500 FT BEFORE CORRECTING BACK TO 2000 FT. THEN CLRED TO 3000 FT AND A L TURN FOR ANOTHER APCH. WE ERRED IN ACCEPTING TOO CLOSE OF A TURN IN FOR INITIAL APCH. IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD SUGGEST FO LEAVE AUTOPLT ON TO MANAGE WORKLOAD UNTIL LNDG ASSURED. FATIGUE FROM 14+ HR FLT MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR AS WELL AS ATC TRYING TO DO VISUALS WITH A HVY HAZE LAYER FROM 2000-4000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 498121: ATC VECTORED US INSIDE THE OM. WE FINALLY SAW RWY 25L, DETERMINED TOO HIGH FOR SAFE APCH AND RPTED GOING AROUND. ATC TOLD US TO FLY 250 DEG HDG AND DSND TO 2000 FT. DSNDING THROUGH 2500 FT, WE WERE RAISING FLAPS AND TURNING TO NEW HDG 160 DEGS WHEN AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY CLBED TO 2500 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY RESTORED DSCNT TO 2000 FT AND TURNED TO NEW HDG 070 DEGS. THE INCIDENT TEACHES BETTER USE OF FLT MODE ANNUNCIATIONS AND BETTER ATTN TO AIRPLANE PITCH CHANGE DURING FLAP RETRACTION. ALSO TEACHES BETTER JUDGEMENT IN ACCEPTING VECTORS TO VISUAL IN HAZY FLT CONDITIONS.

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.