<< >> NASA ASRS Report 502260, February 2001

A320 first officer utilizes wrong equipment (vertical speed selector instead of altitude select knob) to adjust altitude descent rate and overshoots assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	502260
Time
Date	200102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : swl.vortac
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : cedar lake
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	502260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : student pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	502369
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Controller cleared flight direct radds intersection to cross at 15000 ft. First officer was PF. First officer set 15000 ft in FMS, entered 15000 ft in altitude select and began descent. Initial indications were that aircraft would not meet altitude at radds. Vertical speed was selected to expedite descent. Due to the proximity of the altitude select knob, first officer inadvertently grabbed this knob instead of vertical speed. 1 click was all it took to enter 14000 ft. Neither captain nor first officer caught the new altitude inadvertently set. Aircraft crossed radds at 14000 ft instead of 15000 ft. ZDC called us and advised 'no problem...no conflict.' remainder of flight normal. Altitude change to cross radds occurred during preliminary approach briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FO UTILIZES WRONG EQUIP (VERT SPD SELECTOR INSTEAD OF ALT SELECT KNOB) TO ADJUST ALT DSCNT RATE AND OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: CTLR CLRED FLT DIRECT RADDS INTXN TO CROSS AT 15000 FT. FO WAS PF. FO SET 15000 FT IN FMS, ENTERED 15000 FT IN ALT SELECT AND BEGAN DSCNT. INITIAL INDICATIONS WERE THAT ACFT WOULD NOT MEET ALT AT RADDS. VERT SPD WAS SELECTED TO EXPEDITE DSCNT. DUE TO THE PROX OF THE ALT SELECT KNOB, FO INADVERTENTLY GRABBED THIS KNOB INSTEAD OF VERT SPD. 1 CLICK WAS ALL IT TOOK TO ENTER 14000 FT. NEITHER CAPT NOR FO CAUGHT THE NEW ALT INADVERTENTLY SET. ACFT CROSSED RADDS AT 14000 FT INSTEAD OF 15000 FT. ZDC CALLED US AND ADVISED 'NO PROB...NO CONFLICT.' REMAINDER OF FLT NORMAL. ALT CHANGE TO CROSS RADDS OCCURRED DURING PRELIMINARY APCH BRIEFING.

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.