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Learjet 45 first officer started descent from intermediate approach altitude early causing ARTCC controller to intervene and alert crew to their low altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 525086 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200109 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : jot.vortac |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Learjet 45 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument non precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 525086 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Before the beginning of approach, the copilot flying (captain qualified) was established on the inbound course for VOR 1L approach. We were given an altitude of 3000 ft. We were still with center, I believe. He said he gave a frequency change that we both missed. While all this was going on, we were trying to fix an abnormal situation with the flaps. The person flying had the radios and the plane on autoplt. I was performing the appropriate checklist items (challenge and response) to make sure we didn't miss anything with flap problem we were having. While I was doing this, the other pilot said to me (after I was back with him after completing the checklists) that we were cleared for the approach and was telling me that he just started the descent to 2300 ft (from assigned 3000 ft). At 2500 ft MSL, the center came on, said that we were assigned 3000 ft, and we missed the handoff twice to approach. He then gave us the frequency and we went to approach frequency and completed the approach. We were within the guidelines of the approach, but we were not cleared by center. When he told us to contact approach, we were cleared immediately. We had mistakenly thought we were cleared for approach (because of being established on inbound course). The impending flap problem stuck at 7 degrees diverted my attention trying to fix that problem. What should have been done is we should have held or asked for vectors then started the approach when the checklists were complete. We left cmi for dpa -- a pretty short flight to begin with -- so time was short. More time should have been allotted. The WX ended up coming down to 3/4 inside FAF and we decided to go missed approach and went to arrival (aurora, il) and shot the ILS and landed there. We spoke to controller (center) about the miscom about the approach and unauthorized descent to 2500 ft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LEARJET 45 FO STARTED DSCNT FROM INTERMEDIATE APCH ALT EARLY CAUSING ARTCC CTLR TO INTERVENE AND ALERT CREW TO THEIR LOW ALT.
Narrative: BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF APCH, THE COPLT FLYING (CAPT QUALIFIED) WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE INBOUND COURSE FOR VOR 1L APCH. WE WERE GIVEN AN ALT OF 3000 FT. WE WERE STILL WITH CTR, I BELIEVE. HE SAID HE GAVE A FREQ CHANGE THAT WE BOTH MISSED. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, WE WERE TRYING TO FIX AN ABNORMAL SIT WITH THE FLAPS. THE PERSON FLYING HAD THE RADIOS AND THE PLANE ON AUTOPLT. I WAS PERFORMING THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST ITEMS (CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE) TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING WITH FLAP PROB WE WERE HAVING. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, THE OTHER PLT SAID TO ME (AFTER I WAS BACK WITH HIM AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLISTS) THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND WAS TELLING ME THAT HE JUST STARTED THE DSCNT TO 2300 FT (FROM ASSIGNED 3000 FT). AT 2500 FT MSL, THE CTR CAME ON, SAID THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED 3000 FT, AND WE MISSED THE HDOF TWICE TO APCH. HE THEN GAVE US THE FREQ AND WE WENT TO APCH FREQ AND COMPLETED THE APCH. WE WERE WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE APCH, BUT WE WERE NOT CLRED BY CTR. WHEN HE TOLD US TO CONTACT APCH, WE WERE CLRED IMMEDIATELY. WE HAD MISTAKENLY THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH (BECAUSE OF BEING ESTABLISHED ON INBOUND COURSE). THE IMPENDING FLAP PROB STUCK AT 7 DEGS DIVERTED MY ATTN TRYING TO FIX THAT PROB. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IS WE SHOULD HAVE HELD OR ASKED FOR VECTORS THEN STARTED THE APCH WHEN THE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE. WE LEFT CMI FOR DPA -- A PRETTY SHORT FLT TO BEGIN WITH -- SO TIME WAS SHORT. MORE TIME SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOTTED. THE WX ENDED UP COMING DOWN TO 3/4 INSIDE FAF AND WE DECIDED TO GO MISSED APCH AND WENT TO ARR (AURORA, IL) AND SHOT THE ILS AND LANDED THERE. WE SPOKE TO CTLR (CTR) ABOUT THE MISCOM ABOUT THE APCH AND UNAUTH DSCNT TO 2500 FT.
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.