Landing Incident - Melbourne Tullamarine Airport

September 09, 2012.

 

The flight crew of four were conducting a visual approach to Runway 34 at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport following a cargo flight from Auckland, New Zealand. The 'Lizzi Five Victor' standard arrival route (STAR) procedure included the requirement that the flight not descend below 2,500 feet until past the SHEED waypoint. The crew were issued the the airways clearance by ATC for a visual approach to Runway 34 from the SHEED waypoint, conditional on them not descending below the 2,500 feet minima before reaching the SHEED waypoint. The crew read back the clearance without including the requirement to remain above 2,500 feet before reaching the SHEED waypoint. The ATC Controller did not query the crew's incomplete read back. The flight crew initiated the visual approach and descended below the stipulated minimum atltitude of 2,500 feet prior to reaching the SHEED waypoint.

 

The ATSB found that the United States based flight crew did not hear the airways clearance that required them not to descend below 2,500 feet prior to reaching the SHEED waypoint, and not to descend below 2,500 feet until passing said waypoint. The flight crew instead read back to the ATC Controller what they believed to be a clearance for an immediate visual approach from their current position. This is a normal procedure for operations in United States airspace. The crew continued their approach to Runway 34 based on this understanding. There was no loss of separation with any other aircraft.

 

The lack of detection by the ATC Controller of the crew's incomplete read back represented a missed opportunity to alert the crew that they were descending below the requirements for the visual approach to Runway 34, as required.