AN A320 FLC HAS A PROB WITH MANUAL SKILLS IN FLYING A REVISED RTE ON THE BIG SUR ARR.
Synopsis
AN A320 FLC HAS A PROB WITH MANUAL SKILLS IN FLYING A REVISED RTE ON THE BIG SUR ARR.
Narrative
ON THE BSR ARR INTO SFO WITH FO FLYING; WE WERE GIVEN HDG TO FLY AND INTERCEPT OAK 151 DEG RADIAL AND THEN CONTINUE BSR ARR. I THEN GAVE THE FO THE RAW DATA TO FLY WHILE I FIGURED OUT HOW TO REPLICATE THE TASK USING THE FMC. SUBSEQUENTLY; WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS BOLDR AT 10000 FT. I DID NOT SET 10000 FT IN THE MCP; PROBABLY BECAUSE I WAS SATURATED TRYING TO GET THE 'BOX' CONFIGURED CORRECTLY. THE FO DID NOT CATCH MY ERROR. HE WAS DUTIFULLY INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL. JUST WHEN I NOTICED MY MISTAKE; ATC ASKED US IF WE WERE GIVEN 'BOLDR AT 10000 FT.' I SAID YES; AND WE STARTED DOWN IMMEDIATELY FROM FL240. THE XING WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSE SO ATC GAVE US A VECTOR TO GET DOWN. THIS TYPE OF CLRNC IS BECOMING LESS AND LESS COMMON; IE; TO GO FROM GLASS TO VOR RADIALS AND RAW DATA. THEREFORE WE AS PLTS ARE LESS PROFICIENT AT DOING IT. ALSO THE AIRBUS FMC IS NOT USER FRIENDLY IN THIS AREA. I HAVE NOT DONE THIS TYPE OF RERTE OR TASK SINCE TRANSITION TRAINING 1 YR AGO! I PROBABLY STAYED HEADS DOWN MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE TO 'SEE' IF I COULD STILL DO IT EASILY. I COULD NOT. BECAUSE I GOT TOO BUSY WITH THE BOX; I DID NOT SET THE MCP ALT. PROBABLY BECAUSE IT WAS A RARE TASK THE FO WAS BUSY FLYING THE OLD WAY OF INTERCEPTING A RADIAL AND MISSED MY ERROR. I DID IN FACT DOUBLECHK THAT HIS RAW DATA WAS CORRECT SO I COULD CONCENTRATE ON THE GLASS; BUT I NEGLECTED THE VERT MODE. THE PROB AND SOLUTION ARE TWOFOLD. AS WE BECOME MORE GEARED TO FLY 'GLASS;' THEN ATC CLRNCS SHOULD REFLECT THAT; OR SINCE WE GOT CLRNCS/RERTES LIKE THIS SO INFREQUENTLY; MAYBE THE AIRLINES SHOULD SET UP CHEAP PROCS SIMULATORS IN THE DOMICILES SO WE CAN STAY PROFICIENT AT THESE SELDOM USED RAW DATA CLRNCS. SINCE I HAVE NOT DONE THIS TYPE OF TASK SINCE TRAINING; I CONSIDER THIS A TRAINING PROB IN THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AREA.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.