A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airspace Structure; Company Policy; Procedure; Aircraft
Flight to CLT; cruising 22000 feet for about 5 minutes. We were told by Washington Center due to traffic; climb and maintain 24000 feet. We climbed to 24000 feet. A few minutes later we were cleared to descend via CHSLY1 Arrival (new arrival) landing north. As we approached top of descent; we engaged the managed descent; and FMC started descent. As we descended through 23;700 feet; ATC asked what's your altitude? We immediately stopped the descent to investigate. At 23;500 feet we climbed back to 24000 feet. At that time; ATC told us that we were supposed to cross over BURRZ at 24000 feet and they gave us a number to call. Once on the ground; I made a call to Washington Center. During our conversation; ATC manager advised me that we are not alone and a few other Airbus crews have done the same thing. They emphasized that ATC has notified the Chief Pilot about this issue; and the Chief Pilot was supposed to pass the word. My question to her was that you knew about this issue? The response was that other Airbus pilots/FMCs have done this before and you should have been notified by your Chief Pilot. Once we reached our original cruising altitude; the CHSLY1 RNAV was loaded and verified. The FMC calculated top of descent for crossing restrictions down the RNAV route. When the new cruise altitude was entered; the immediate crossing altitude which happened to be the same as the new cruising altitude was deleted by FMC. The immediate crossing altitude after reaching the new cruise altitude deleted and once managed push button is pushed the aircraft started to descend below the 24000 foot crossing altitude. I can make many suggestions about this issue which should be addressed in the training department. Maybe an advisory to all operators involving FMC management. I would like to make a strong suggestion to ATC which is PLEASE; DO NOT PLAY test game to see if the airplane and pilots will comply with your game; by intentionally; knowingly; willingly; putting the aircraft; and passengers in a bad situation so they can prove a point. I see the ATC action as intentional and a conspiracy to put the pilots in violation/deviation. I would like to remind our partner at the ATC desk that this is not a flight simulator that you can test and see 'IF' pilots are going to notice the problem. We do all of our training; and trick questions on the ground; in the simulator; or in the classroom. They have no right to trick the FMC or pilots in order to test us. Washington Center was totally negligent by putting the aircraft and pilots in an unsafe situation.
Pilot alleges ATC Facility climbed his aircraft from 22000 feet to 24000 feet then cleared them for the RNAV Arrival with the intention to see if they would violate the initial fix crossing altitude of 24000 feet. The pilot believes this because they were climbed from 22000 feet to 24000 feet for traffic. The crew observed no traffic visually or on TCAS while at 24000 feet. They were only at 24000 feet for '2 or 3 minutes' then cleared for the RNAV Arrival. The pilot was instructed to call the ATC facility. ATC told the pilot that other aircraft have also missed the restriction on this arrival at 24000 feet.
A319 Captain reported the FMC started his aircraft's descent early causing them to descend 300 feet below the BURRZ crossing restriction on the CHSLY STAR.