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An S80 flight crew admits to an altitude deviation just prior to hearing a thump on the aircraft in the vicinity of skydiving activity near byp, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 506722 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200103 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : byp.vortac |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14600 msl bound upper : 15000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : charter |
| Make Model Name | Caravan 1 208A |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 119 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 506722 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 506721 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : skydivers non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Location: byp. On descent to dfw, we were told to cross karla at or above 15000 ft, then cross lemyn at 11000 ft. First officer was flying. As we were approaching 15000 ft, a caravan was called out as traffic. Parachuting was in progress and this was apparently the jump aircraft. Both of us found the traffic. As I looked back inside, I observed us going below 15000 ft. The first officer leveled the aircraft at 14600 ft. Shortly thereafter, a thump was felt. At karla, the descent was continued to 11000 ft. At about this time, a flight attendant stepped into the cockpit to tell us they felt a thump in the back of the aircraft. We landed uneventfully. I wrote up the aircraft as possibly having a bird strike, but hoped that we had not hit a jumper. I called dfw TRACON. They directed me to a supervisor at ZFW. Controller confirmed that all of the jumpers were accounted for and would call our dispatch if anything else developed. I had set the lemyn crossing altitude of 11000 ft in the altitude select window. As we were leveling at 15000 ft, we were distraction by the traffic call and let the aircraft slip below 15000 ft. Had I set the karla restr of 15000 ft, we could have worried about lemyn at 11000 ft later. To the best of my recollection, the ATIS mentioned parachuting to the northwest, but not on the byp arrival.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN S80 FLC ADMITS TO AN ALTDEV JUST PRIOR TO HEARING A THUMP ON THE ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF SKYDIVING ACTIVITY NEAR BYP, TX.
Narrative: LOCATION: BYP. ON DSCNT TO DFW, WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS KARLA AT OR ABOVE 15000 FT, THEN CROSS LEMYN AT 11000 FT. FO WAS FLYING. AS WE WERE APCHING 15000 FT, A CARAVAN WAS CALLED OUT AS TFC. PARACHUTING WAS IN PROGRESS AND THIS WAS APPARENTLY THE JUMP ACFT. BOTH OF US FOUND THE TFC. AS I LOOKED BACK INSIDE, I OBSERVED US GOING BELOW 15000 FT. THE FO LEVELED THE ACFT AT 14600 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A THUMP WAS FELT. AT KARLA, THE DSCNT WAS CONTINUED TO 11000 FT. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, A FLT ATTENDANT STEPPED INTO THE COCKPIT TO TELL US THEY FELT A THUMP IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I WROTE UP THE ACFT AS POSSIBLY HAVING A BIRD STRIKE, BUT HOPED THAT WE HAD NOT HIT A JUMPER. I CALLED DFW TRACON. THEY DIRECTED ME TO A SUPVR AT ZFW. CTLR CONFIRMED THAT ALL OF THE JUMPERS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AND WOULD CALL OUR DISPATCH IF ANYTHING ELSE DEVELOPED. I HAD SET THE LEMYN XING ALT OF 11000 FT IN THE ALT SELECT WINDOW. AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 15000 FT, WE WERE DISTR BY THE TFC CALL AND LET THE ACFT SLIP BELOW 15000 FT. HAD I SET THE KARLA RESTR OF 15000 FT, WE COULD HAVE WORRIED ABOUT LEMYN AT 11000 FT LATER. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, THE ATIS MENTIONED PARACHUTING TO THE NW, BUT NOT ON THE BYP ARR.
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.