Narrative:

During descent into lga area; received ATIS indicating lda-a runway 22 approach in use. Since lda-a approach not in FMS as an approach available to be selected; fixes on approach had to be manually built in FMS to use best available aircraft automation. This took time for instruction from captain to first officer (captain flying); and caused some rushing to accomplish in-range checklists and arrival procedures in timely manner. New york approach radio traffic was also very busy. Flight was cleared from haarp on RKA2 arrival direct to casle on lda-a approach; and cleared for lda-a approach. WX was VMC; and airport was in sight before casle fix. Since manually built approachs can't use LNAV/VNAV procedures; captain selected VOR/localizer and vertical speed for descent at casle. Captain inadvertently selected 1000 ft (circling minima) in altitude selector versus 1600 ft for cohop stepdown fix. Localizer was captured at casle; and aircraft was s-ing down final due to localizer course deviating back-and-forth (probably due to crossing aircraft on ground; lga takeoffs were being conducted on runway 13). Captain selected LNAV for steady course control. Approximately 1 mi before cohop; captain recognized altitude deviation at approximately 1450 ft; disconnected autoplt; corrected back to 1600 ft at cohop; and continued approach to land at lga runway 22. Digital ATIS capability would have helped. With digital ATIS; destination station WX and active approachs can be studied and analyzed en route rather than in descent phase; allowing for more time to discuss and plan all aspects of the approach to be flown. When voice ATIS must be received by one of the pilots during descent into busy airport areas; there is much more potential for error in many aspects of the descent and approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW DESCENDS BELOW CROSSING RESTRICTION ON LDA-A IN VMC TO LGA. CITE WORKLOAD; CRM ISSUES AND LACK OF PROCEDURE IN FMS DATABASE AS CONTRIBUTORS.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO LGA AREA; RECEIVED ATIS INDICATING LDA-A RWY 22 APCH IN USE. SINCE LDA-A APCH NOT IN FMS AS AN APCH AVAILABLE TO BE SELECTED; FIXES ON APCH HAD TO BE MANUALLY BUILT IN FMS TO USE BEST AVAILABLE ACFT AUTOMATION. THIS TOOK TIME FOR INSTRUCTION FROM CAPT TO FO (CAPT FLYING); AND CAUSED SOME RUSHING TO ACCOMPLISH IN-RANGE CHKLISTS AND ARR PROCS IN TIMELY MANNER. NEW YORK APCH RADIO TFC WAS ALSO VERY BUSY. FLT WAS CLRED FROM HAARP ON RKA2 ARR DIRECT TO CASLE ON LDA-A APCH; AND CLRED FOR LDA-A APCH. WX WAS VMC; AND ARPT WAS IN SIGHT BEFORE CASLE FIX. SINCE MANUALLY BUILT APCHS CAN'T USE LNAV/VNAV PROCS; CAPT SELECTED VOR/LOC AND VERT SPD FOR DSCNT AT CASLE. CAPT INADVERTENTLY SELECTED 1000 FT (CIRCLING MINIMA) IN ALT SELECTOR VERSUS 1600 FT FOR COHOP STEPDOWN FIX. LOC WAS CAPTURED AT CASLE; AND ACFT WAS S-ING DOWN FINAL DUE TO LOC COURSE DEVIATING BACK-AND-FORTH (PROBABLY DUE TO XING ACFT ON GND; LGA TKOFS WERE BEING CONDUCTED ON RWY 13). CAPT SELECTED LNAV FOR STEADY COURSE CTL. APPROX 1 MI BEFORE COHOP; CAPT RECOGNIZED ALTDEV AT APPROX 1450 FT; DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT; CORRECTED BACK TO 1600 FT AT COHOP; AND CONTINUED APCH TO LAND AT LGA RWY 22. DIGITAL ATIS CAPABILITY WOULD HAVE HELPED. WITH DIGITAL ATIS; DEST STATION WX AND ACTIVE APCHS CAN BE STUDIED AND ANALYZED ENRTE RATHER THAN IN DSCNT PHASE; ALLOWING FOR MORE TIME TO DISCUSS AND PLAN ALL ASPECTS OF THE APCH TO BE FLOWN. WHEN VOICE ATIS MUST BE RECEIVED BY ONE OF THE PLTS DURING DSCNT INTO BUSY ARPT AREAS; THERE IS MUCH MORE POTENTIAL FOR ERROR IN MANY ASPECTS OF THE DSCNT AND APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.