Altitude crossing restr not met by a B767 cargo flight when crew misreads chart for glasr 5 arrival ...

Attributes
ACN	573955
Time
Date	200302
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : jaksn
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	arrival star : glass 5
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 2450
ASRS Report	573955
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While descending from FL390 to FL240, we received the following clearance 'descend as per the glasr 5 arrival, landing north.' our destination airport was bfi and we were using the 10-2B chart dated aug/xa/02 titled 'glasr 5 arrival.' the airport listed on this STAR is boeing field/king company international. The natural assumption is that this arrival is used only for boeing field/king company international (this is 1 airport). Tacoma international is not listed on this STAR as an airport served by this arrival. At jaksn, turbojets are instructed to cross at 250 KTS (we did have the NOTAM, which changes that to 280 KTS.) the STAR then states that turbojets landing north (as we had planned) should cross at 16000 ft. There is a confusing note that states 'landing bfi, (cross) at and maintain 11000 ft.' this is where the confusion occurs. I reiterate that this arrival is only for boeing field/king company international. No other airports are listed on this chart. If you are landing north as we were, it is not clear if you should cross jaksn at 16000 ft or 11000 ft. When we were approximately 5 mi from jaksn at 16000 ft in level flight, we were told by seattle approach control to 'start your descent now. You were supposed to cross to jaksn at 11000 ft.' if this arrival is for bfi, why does 16000 ft even show up on the arrival? The glasr 5 arrival for tacoma international should not have the bfi note and the glasr 5 arrival for bfi should not have the 'landing north at 16000 ft note.' in summary, the cause of the problem is ambiguous information/restrs on the STAR. Information relating to another airport should not be on a STAR, which is specifically for one airport. Another solution would be to avoid using clrncs, such as 'descend as per the glasr 5 arrival.' it is much better, shorter, and less confusing to state 'cross jaksn at 11000 ft.' this is especially true when there is only 1 crossing restr. An arrival into lax, for example, has multiple crossing restrs, and 'descend as per...' might be somewhat more appropriate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT XING RESTR NOT MET BY A B767 CARGO FLT WHEN CREW MISREADS CHART FOR GLASR 5 ARR TO BFI, WA.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FROM FL390 TO FL240, WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC 'DSND AS PER THE GLASR 5 ARR, LNDG N.' OUR DEST ARPT WAS BFI AND WE WERE USING THE 10-2B CHART DATED AUG/XA/02 TITLED 'GLASR 5 ARR.' THE ARPT LISTED ON THIS STAR IS BOEING FIELD/KING COMPANY INTL. THE NATURAL ASSUMPTION IS THAT THIS ARR IS USED ONLY FOR BOEING FIELD/KING COMPANY INTL (THIS IS 1 ARPT). TACOMA INTL IS NOT LISTED ON THIS STAR AS AN ARPT SERVED BY THIS ARR. AT JAKSN, TURBOJETS ARE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS AT 250 KTS (WE DID HAVE THE NOTAM, WHICH CHANGES THAT TO 280 KTS.) THE STAR THEN STATES THAT TURBOJETS LNDG N (AS WE HAD PLANNED) SHOULD CROSS AT 16000 FT. THERE IS A CONFUSING NOTE THAT STATES 'LNDG BFI, (CROSS) AT AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT.' THIS IS WHERE THE CONFUSION OCCURS. I REITERATE THAT THIS ARR IS ONLY FOR BOEING FIELD/KING COMPANY INTL. NO OTHER ARPTS ARE LISTED ON THIS CHART. IF YOU ARE LNDG N AS WE WERE, IT IS NOT CLR IF YOU SHOULD CROSS JAKSN AT 16000 FT OR 11000 FT. WHEN WE WERE APPROX 5 MI FROM JAKSN AT 16000 FT IN LEVEL FLT, WE WERE TOLD BY SEATTLE APCH CTL TO 'START YOUR DSCNT NOW. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CROSS TO JAKSN AT 11000 FT.' IF THIS ARR IS FOR BFI, WHY DOES 16000 FT EVEN SHOW UP ON THE ARR? THE GLASR 5 ARR FOR TACOMA INTL SHOULD NOT HAVE THE BFI NOTE AND THE GLASR 5 ARR FOR BFI SHOULD NOT HAVE THE 'LNDG N AT 16000 FT NOTE.' IN SUMMARY, THE CAUSE OF THE PROB IS AMBIGUOUS INFO/RESTRS ON THE STAR. INFO RELATING TO ANOTHER ARPT SHOULD NOT BE ON A STAR, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY FOR ONE ARPT. ANOTHER SOLUTION WOULD BE TO AVOID USING CLRNCS, SUCH AS 'DSND AS PER THE GLASR 5 ARR.' IT IS MUCH BETTER, SHORTER, AND LESS CONFUSING TO STATE 'CROSS JAKSN AT 11000 FT.' THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN THERE IS ONLY 1 XING RESTR. AN ARR INTO LAX, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS MULTIPLE XING RESTRS, AND 'DSND AS PER...' MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT MORE APPROPRIATE.

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.

Altitude crossing restr not met by a B767 cargo flight when crew misreads chart for glasr 5 arrival to bfi, wa.