CPR ACFT DSNDS TOO LOW ON STAR BELIEVING CTLR ASSIGNED ALT.

Date: 1992-09 · Aircraft: Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-overshoot|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|inflight-event-encounter-cftt-cfit

Synopsis

CPR ACFT DSNDS TOO LOW ON STAR BELIEVING CTLR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative

I HAD FILED THE WILKES BARRE 3 ARR INTO MMU. WE HAD CROSSED WILKES BARRE VOR AT 13000. AT 32 MI FROM MUGZY; WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 2000; TO BE THERE XING MUGZY. THE COPLT DIALED 2000 INTO THE ALT SELECT. I READ BACK 'DSCNT TO 2000; BE THERE XING MUGZY.' I GOT NO FURTHER RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. WE WERE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. I COMMENTED TO THE COPLT THAT I HOPED MUGZY WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIDGES. I SAID THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO GET OUR ACFT BELOW FASTER TFC. I CHKED OUR CHARTS TO SEE HOW 2000 WAS SAFE; BUT IT DID NOT LOOK GOOD. I TOLD THE COPLT I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT DSND THAT LOW IN IMC; BUT SINCE WE COULD SEE OBSTRUCTIONS WE WOULD NOT DSND INTO ANYTHING. I TURNED ON THE RADAR ALTIMETER. THE COPLT WAS FLYING AND HURRYING TO GET DOWN BY MUGZY. APCHING 4000 FT THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT. I SAID; 'THROUGH 4000 FOR 2000.' HE SAID 'MAINTAIN 5000.' I SAID; 'LEAVING 4000 FOR 5000.' THE CTLR SAID NOTHING FURTHER. I SAID; 'WE WERE CLRED TO 2000 FT. THE CTLR SAID 'NEGATIVE; MIN ALT IN THAT AREA IS 5000.' NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY PLT OR CTLR. I NOW WISH I HAD EXPRESSED MY DOUBTS TO THE CTLR RATHER THAN TO THE COPLT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.