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Air carrier large transport may have missed an altitude crossing restriction when having trouble making a frequency change.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 93422 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198808 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : atr |
| State Reference | DE |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 18000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zdc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 93422 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Large transport aircraft. Copilot flying, captain performing copilot duties. We were cleared to descend and maintain 16000' 30 mi west of ATR. Subsequently we were cleared to cross 18000'. A radio call to another frequency was given at approximately the same time. The captain read back the frequency and the controller acknowledged. However, it was the wrong frequency. After 2 attempts, the captain recontacted the previous frequency and the controller asked for our altitude with some concern in his voice. I was under the impression, based on the wording of the clearance, that the first altitude restriction had been deleted. I don't know if this was the case or not, based on the controller's query. In busy areas multiple restrictions should not be issued in conjunction with radio frequency changed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: frequency was very congested at the time and the tries at the new frequency took some time before medium large transport returned to previous frequency. There was no follow up and no question from the next controller about the altitude.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LGT MAY HAVE MISSED AN ALT CROSSING RESTRICTION WHEN HAVING TROUBLE MAKING A FREQ CHANGE.
Narrative: LGT ACFT. COPLT FLYING, CAPT PERFORMING COPLT DUTIES. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 16000' 30 MI W OF ATR. SUBSEQUENTLY WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 18000'. A RADIO CALL TO ANOTHER FREQ WAS GIVEN AT APPROX THE SAME TIME. THE CAPT READ BACK THE FREQ AND THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. HOWEVER, IT WAS THE WRONG FREQ. AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS, THE CAPT RECONTACTED THE PREVIOUS FREQ AND THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR ALT WITH SOME CONCERN IN HIS VOICE. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION, BASED ON THE WORDING OF THE CLRNC, THAT THE FIRST ALT RESTRICTION HAD BEEN DELETED. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS THE CASE OR NOT, BASED ON THE CTLR'S QUERY. IN BUSY AREAS MULTIPLE RESTRICTIONS SHOULD NOT BE ISSUED IN CONJUNCTION WITH RADIO FREQ CHANGED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AT THE TIME AND THE TRIES AT THE NEW FREQ TOOK SOME TIME BEFORE MLG RETURNED TO PREVIOUS FREQ. THERE WAS NO FOLLOW UP AND NO QUESTION FROM THE NEXT CTLR ABOUT THE ALT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.