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B757 captain undershot an intermediate intersection during arrival descent due to the FMC VNAV mode leveling the aircraft early.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 501580 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zau.artcc |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc tower : ord.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 501580 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Cleared to cross giber intersection at FL230. During descent, captain's FMC showed on VNAV path to crossing. First officer's FMC went blank. We believed that caused VNAV path error. Aircraft leveled off at FL240. By the time we caught that, we missed the crossing. Complacency with the glass environment and dealing with a mechanical problem led me to assume that because the aircraft had been on the VNAV path throughout the descent I did not catch the early level off (first time in my 3 yrs of glass that has happened). I will go back to my old vigilance of my pre-glass days to avoid this happening again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757 CAPT UNDERSHOT AN INTERMEDIATE INTXN DURING ARR DSCNT DUE TO THE FMC VNAV MODE LEVELING THE ACFT EARLY.
Narrative: CLRED TO CROSS GIBER INTXN AT FL230. DURING DSCNT, CAPT'S FMC SHOWED ON VNAV PATH TO XING. FO'S FMC WENT BLANK. WE BELIEVED THAT CAUSED VNAV PATH ERROR. ACFT LEVELED OFF AT FL240. BY THE TIME WE CAUGHT THAT, WE MISSED THE XING. COMPLACENCY WITH THE GLASS ENVIRONMENT AND DEALING WITH A MECHANICAL PROB LED ME TO ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THE ACFT HAD BEEN ON THE VNAV PATH THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT I DID NOT CATCH THE EARLY LEVEL OFF (FIRST TIME IN MY 3 YRS OF GLASS THAT HAS HAPPENED). I WILL GO BACK TO MY OLD VIGILANCE OF MY PRE-GLASS DAYS TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING AGAIN.
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.