1997-11 · NASA ASRS report 384699
AN ACR B727 FO RPTS THAT HIS CAPT CROSSED 'HOLEY' ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT IN SPITE OF REPEATED ADVISORIES FROM THE FO ABOUT THEIR DSCNT RATE.
REPOSITION FLT (NO PAX); CAPT WAS PF. WHILE AT FL330 CTR GAVE US A CLRNC TO CROSS 'HOLEY' INTXN AT 11000 FT. WINDS AT ALT AND DURING MOST OF DSCNT WERE DIRECTLY ON OUR TAIL AT 100+ KTS. I QUERIED THE CAPT ABOUT HIS INTENDED DSCNT; INITIATION POINT (TO BE A VIABLE BACKUP IN CASE HE BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER DUTIES). HE INITIATED DSCNT AT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF MI FROM THE FIX THAT HE HAD TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO; HOWEVER DURING DSCNT HIS RATE OF DSCNT SLACKED OFF SOMEWHAT; THUS BECOMING SOMEWHAT BEHIND; BY MY ESTIMATES; THE RATE NEEDED TO MAKE THE FIX AT 11000 FT. I REITERATED THE FIX; XING ALT AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL TAILWIND; WHICH HE ACKNOWLEDGED. AS WE DREW CLOSER TO THE FIX; AGAIN MY CALCULATIONS PUT US SHORT OF OUR XING ALT; AND AGAIN I VOICED MY CONCERN VERBALLY. HE AGAIN INDICATED THAT HE WOULD MAKE THE XING; BUT (FROM MY POINT OF VIEW) DID NOTHING TO INCREASE OUR RATE OF DSCNT. ABOUT 10 MI FROM HOLEY; OUT OF ABOUT 14000 FT; I SAID THE DISTANCE TO THE FIX; OUT LOUD; WHICH WAS MET WITH NO RESPONSE OR ACTION. DUE TO OUR TAILWIND; WE CROSSED HOLEY AT 12000 FT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT; NOR ANY OTHER ACFT NEAR US. THE CTLR NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT MISSING THE ALT AT THE FIX; BUT SIMPLY HANDED US OFF TO NY APCH; WHO ALSO SAID NOTHING ABOUT OUR MISSING THE XING. THE CAPT WAS TOTALLY UNCONCERNED ABOUT MISSING THE FIX. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MORE I COULD'VE DONE SHORT OF PHYSICALLY TAKING OVER THE AIRPLANE TO MAKE THE XING. I VERBALLY; AND TO MY RECOLLECTION; ASSERTIVELY REMINDED HIM ABOUT THE XING ALT; OUR DISTANCE AND SPD. THIS ACFT DIDN'T HAVE FMS; GPS OR ANYTHING MORE THAN DME DISTANCE FROM VOR STATIONS (WITHOUT GS OR TIME-TO-STATION READOUTS). CAPT HAS BEEN ON AIRPLANE FOR YEARS (HIRED DURING 60'S) WHICH MAY FOSTER A COMPLACENT ATTITUDE. I AM AT A LOSS FOR A VIABLE SOLUTION TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF SIT FROM RECURRING.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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