A B737-300 CREW REPORTS MISSING A CROSSING RESTRICTION IN AN AIRCRAFT WITH AN FMC BUT NO MOVING MAP. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS DECREASED AND OTHER NAVIGATION INFORMATION MUST BE USED TO COMPLETE THE PICTURE THAT A MAP PROVIDES.

2008-11 · NASA ASRS report 811720

Date: 2008-11 · Aircraft: B737-300 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-crossing-restriction-not-met|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

A B737-300 CREW REPORTS MISSING A CROSSING RESTRICTION IN AN AIRCRAFT WITH AN FMC BUT NO MOVING MAP. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS DECREASED AND OTHER NAVIGATION INFORMATION MUST BE USED TO COMPLETE THE PICTURE THAT A MAP PROVIDES.

Narrative

WE WERE AT FL330 WITH AN FMC MEL'ED AND TOLD TO CROSS 10 NM N OF ABC AT FL290. AFTER WE PROGRAMMED THE OPERATING FMC; THE CAPT BEGAN HIS DUTIES OF ATTAINING ATIS AND GATE REQUEST. BEFORE HE LEFT THE DSCNT PAGE; I SAW WE WERE ABOUT 19 NM FROM THE XING RESTR FIX. I LOOKED AT MY GLIDEPATH INDICATOR AND SAW IT WAS SITTING IN THE CTRED POS; NOT ACTING ALIVE YET. I LOOKED AWAY FOR A SHORT PERIOD; AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE GLIDEPATH; IT WAS FULL SCALE DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE DSCNT. I RECALCULATED IN MY HEAD AND THE CAPT WENT BACK TO THE DSCNT PAGE AND I SAW WE MIGHT BE HARD PRESSED TO MAKE IT. THE CAPT ALSO NOTICED THAT AFTER WE STARTED THE DSCNT WE GOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TAILWIND. I TOLD THE CAPT HE MIGHT WANT TO GET RELIEF FOR THE RESTR AND HE AGREED. THE ONLY PROB WAS; ATC WAS TOO BUSY AND THE CAPT COULDN'T GET A WORD IN. WE CROSSED THE RESTR ABOUT 700 FT HIGH. LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE I'M SURE; I FEEL IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THE BIG PICTURE WHILE FLYING A -300 WITH AN FMC MEL'ED. NOT ONLY IS THERE NO MOVING MAP; BUT THERE IS ONLY 1 FMC AND IF THE PNF NEEDS IT TO ACCOMPLISH OTHER DUTIES; IT REALLY NARROWS YOUR PICTURE. HOWEVER; LOOKING BACK AT THE SITUATION; I REALIZE THAT I NEGLECTED ONE LITTLE PIECE OF INFO THAT THE -300 OFFERS WHEN THE FMC IS BEING USED. THAT IS THE DME ABOVE THE HSI WHICH I COULD HAVE USED IN THIS SITUATION. WHY DID I NEGLECT IT? I BELIEVE IT EXTENDS FROM THE HABIT OF USING THE FMC (IN BOTH ACFT TYPES) TO GET DISTANCE INFO. TAKE THE FMC AWAY; AND I FELT SOMEWHAT BLIND TO THE SITUATION. I JUST DEPENDED ON THAT GLIDEPATH INDICATOR IN THIS SITUATION; WHICH AT TIMES CAN BE DECEIVING. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND DUAL FMC OPS AT ALL TIMES. ANOTHER NOTE ABOUT THAT DME ABOVE THE HSI; IF THE XING RESTR HAD BEEN ON A SECOND FIX FURTHER DOWN THE ARR; THAT DME WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED ME ANYWAY; SINCE IT ONLY GIVES ME DISTANCE TO THE NEXT IMMEDIATE FIX.

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

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