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Turbojet inbound to mev descends below assigned altitude while trying to program FMS under rno approach control.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 600722 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200311 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : fmg.vortac |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 13400 msl bound upper : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa.artcc tracon : rno.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : holding pattern enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9900 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 600722 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : automation overrode flight crew controller : issued advisory flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approaching our destination, minden, nv (mev) from the south, we were in contact with ZOA. We requested direct spook intersection for the GPS-B approach into mev and request was granted. Approximately 3 mins from spook, ZOA said reno approach could not accept that approach (since it is partially in reno's airspace) because of conflicting inbound traffic to reno. They then asked our intentions. We requested direct vikes intersection for the GPS-a to minden. They cleared us direct to vikes and to 'descend and maintain 14000 ft' then turned us over to reno approach who has jurisdiction on the whole GPS-a approach and had this completed when we were within 1 1/2 mins of vikes. We were still descending at this point to 14000 ft. Then, reno instructed us to hold at vikes as published. At this point the first officer tried to select hold in the FMS, but wasn't able to for 2 reasons: 1) he couldn't remember where to scroll to get the hold function, and 2) we were so close to vikes that the course indicator slewed to the next course for the approach. Because we were over the fix already, we tried to get a 'direct to' function back to vikes so we could hold, but the course deviation indicator kept slewing the FMS and the 2 quick successive changes to our clearance, I neglected to press 'altitude select' for our 14000 ft clearance. Reno notified us of our altitude deviation at this point. We had descended to 13400 ft. We immediately climbed back to 14000 ft. This event was caused by a breakdown in crew coordination and SOP's by both of us diverting attention to programming the FMS and clrncs that were issued at a time in which the crew was not ready to accept them. We should have asked for delaying vectors in order to program the FMS in time and to keep our SOP's and CRM working. As a note, since this was not an overlay GPS approach, there was no way to take a step back in automation in the cockpit. We had to totally rely on the GPS function of the FMS.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TURBOJET INBOUND TO MEV DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT WHILE TRYING TO PROGRAM FMS UNDER RNO APCH CTL.
Narrative: APCHING OUR DEST, MINDEN, NV (MEV) FROM THE S, WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ZOA. WE REQUESTED DIRECT SPOOK INTXN FOR THE GPS-B APCH INTO MEV AND REQUEST WAS GRANTED. APPROX 3 MINS FROM SPOOK, ZOA SAID RENO APCH COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT APCH (SINCE IT IS PARTIALLY IN RENO'S AIRSPACE) BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING INBOUND TFC TO RENO. THEY THEN ASKED OUR INTENTIONS. WE REQUESTED DIRECT VIKES INTXN FOR THE GPS-A TO MINDEN. THEY CLRED US DIRECT TO VIKES AND TO 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT' THEN TURNED US OVER TO RENO APCH WHO HAS JURISDICTION ON THE WHOLE GPS-A APCH AND HAD THIS COMPLETED WHEN WE WERE WITHIN 1 1/2 MINS OF VIKES. WE WERE STILL DSNDING AT THIS POINT TO 14000 FT. THEN, RENO INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD AT VIKES AS PUBLISHED. AT THIS POINT THE FO TRIED TO SELECT HOLD IN THE FMS, BUT WASN'T ABLE TO FOR 2 REASONS: 1) HE COULDN'T REMEMBER WHERE TO SCROLL TO GET THE HOLD FUNCTION, AND 2) WE WERE SO CLOSE TO VIKES THAT THE COURSE INDICATOR SLEWED TO THE NEXT COURSE FOR THE APCH. BECAUSE WE WERE OVER THE FIX ALREADY, WE TRIED TO GET A 'DIRECT TO' FUNCTION BACK TO VIKES SO WE COULD HOLD, BUT THE COURSE DEV INDICATOR KEPT SLEWING THE FMS AND THE 2 QUICK SUCCESSIVE CHANGES TO OUR CLRNC, I NEGLECTED TO PRESS 'ALT SELECT' FOR OUR 14000 FT CLRNC. RENO NOTIFIED US OF OUR ALTDEV AT THIS POINT. WE HAD DSNDED TO 13400 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 14000 FT. THIS EVENT WAS CAUSED BY A BREAKDOWN IN CREW COORD AND SOP'S BY BOTH OF US DIVERTING ATTN TO PROGRAMMING THE FMS AND CLRNCS THAT WERE ISSUED AT A TIME IN WHICH THE CREW WAS NOT READY TO ACCEPT THEM. WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR DELAYING VECTORS IN ORDER TO PROGRAM THE FMS IN TIME AND TO KEEP OUR SOP'S AND CRM WORKING. AS A NOTE, SINCE THIS WAS NOT AN OVERLAY GPS APCH, THERE WAS NO WAY TO TAKE A STEP BACK IN AUTOMATION IN THE COCKPIT. WE HAD TO TOTALLY RELY ON THE GPS FUNCTION OF THE FMS.
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.