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DC9 first officer failed to level at the crossing restr altitude during descent due to being distracted by the altitude warning alert setting which set for the subsequent approach transition altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 536649 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : toy.vortac |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5800 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : t75.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival : profile descent |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 536649 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approach issued clearance to cross toy at 6000 ft to descend and maintain 4000 ft. Per company policy, I set 4000 ft in altitude warning indicator. Pointed to altitude and said 'cross toy at 6000 ft, maintain 4000 ft.' first officer, PF, acknowledged by repeating clearance. He reached 6000 ft prior to toy, but continued descent. I noticed the descent passing 5800 ft and asked first officer to level. He did, but not before 5600 ft, at which point stl approach said to maintain 4000 ft. Approach did not mention any problem, but the timing indicated to me that they observed the descent below the crossing clearance. First officer was very senior in position with both military and civilian experience. He acknowledged correct clearance, but apparently then focused on the altitude warning indicator altitude set at 4000 ft. In the future I intend to monitor more closely crossing restrs to try to make sure this does not happen again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DC9 FO FAILED TO LEVEL AT THE XING RESTR ALT DURING DSCNT DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED BY THE ALT WARNING ALERT SETTING WHICH SET FOR THE SUBSEQUENT APCH TRANSITION ALT.
Narrative: APCH ISSUED CLRNC TO CROSS TOY AT 6000 FT TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. PER COMPANY POLICY, I SET 4000 FT IN ALT WARNING INDICATOR. POINTED TO ALT AND SAID 'CROSS TOY AT 6000 FT, MAINTAIN 4000 FT.' FO, PF, ACKNOWLEDGED BY REPEATING CLRNC. HE REACHED 6000 FT PRIOR TO TOY, BUT CONTINUED DSCNT. I NOTICED THE DSCNT PASSING 5800 FT AND ASKED FO TO LEVEL. HE DID, BUT NOT BEFORE 5600 FT, AT WHICH POINT STL APCH SAID TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. APCH DID NOT MENTION ANY PROB, BUT THE TIMING INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY OBSERVED THE DSCNT BELOW THE XING CLRNC. FO WAS VERY SENIOR IN POS WITH BOTH MIL AND CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED CORRECT CLRNC, BUT APPARENTLY THEN FOCUSED ON THE ALT WARNING INDICATOR ALT SET AT 4000 FT. IN THE FUTURE I INTEND TO MONITOR MORE CLOSELY XING RESTRS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN 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.