A319
Workload; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
On ILS 5R in VMC; over flew SMO and joined 160 degree radial (managed nav following the published procedure) and began descent to 9;700 MSL. ATC asked if we were following the NOTAM'd procedure of following SMO 168 radial and descending to 10;200. Replied we were on the published procedure; at which time were given present heading (160) by ATC and we maintained 9;700. We were then cleared visual approach for 5L. Approach/landing were uneventful.High workload on arrival and TOD due to thunderstorms. The NOTAMed change was included in the ATIS; but we did not properly brief/consider it due to high workload. The procedure was more fully described in the NOTAMs contained in the back of the release (please see Captain's report for full detail on the NOTAM and ATIS we received.) A published procedure and an updated approach in the nav database in a more timely manner. As discussed by Capt. The published NOTAM does not expressly reference which approach procedure it is addressing. A company read file would also be helpful in the interim until the new procedure is in the charts and the database. We also should have started our descent/arrival planning earlier in the flight; before we got busy with deviations around weather. That way; we would have been fully aware of the change and would have made a plan considering it. The air carrier flight ahead of us requested vectors for the approach; in speaking to that crew later; their company has advised them not to accept/follow the new procedure until it is incorporated in their charts and databases.
There is a brand-new NOTAM (as of the 15th) for MMMX that affects a critical segment of the ILS 5R approach and requires CAREFUL READING AND IMPLEMENTATION. The NOTAM is hard to read; and it is not immediately obvious it deals with the ILS 5R. Nowhere does it say 'Attention all users of ILS 5R.' As a matter of fact; it refers to the procedure as 'ILS-1' in NOTAM A2540/14 included in the flight release. We did not fly this procedure properly resulting in chastisement and general disgust from the Mexico City Final Controller. We also flew the incorrect radial at the wrong altitude. Later in Customs; we spoke with the crew who flew the approach before us (they asked for vectors rather than accepting an approach clearance) and they said their company had already put out an all-points alert to 'NOT ATTEMPT TO FLY THE APPROACH WITH THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE NOTAM.' The reason we did not fly the procedure properly was failure to brief it properly. As pilot monitoring; I read the ATIS to the pilot flying during cruise as we prepared to brief the arrival. We were also deviating around thunderstorms. Right after reading a notice on the ATIS that a NOTAM was in effect for 'OUTBOUND OF MATEO VOR CHANGE TO RADIAL 168' we got an ATC clearance and had to deal again with avoiding weather. We both failed to then reference the text of the actual NOTAM which in itself is very confusing. No excuses; though. We were cleared for the ILS 5R approach before SMO VOR and flew it as published. Shortly thereafter the Controller queried us on our heading. We said 160; and he asked us why we hadn't read the NOTAM. He gave us new vectors but did not change our altitude. We landed without incident.Failure to read and execute a NOTAM properly because if a distraction/interruption. I think such a major change to one of the highest workload ILS approaches in our system should be made a special briefing item on page one of our releases. We are being asked; in essence; to build a new approach in one of the highest threat airports in our system from a NOTAM that DOESN'T EVEN NAME THE APPROACH CORRECTLY. READ THIS NOTAM CAREFULLY DURING THE ENROUTE (LOW WORKLOAD) PHASE OF FLIGHT AND BRIEF IT THOROUGHLY. The NOTAM refers to charts 'AD-MMMX ILS1; AD-MMMX-VD-1.' They mean to say 'ILS 5R.' It changes the outbound radial from SMO leading to the ILS 5R localizer intercept from 160 to 168; and increases the altitude from 9;700 feet to 10;200 feet. It also changes the MEX VOR radial that allows you to descend from 10;200 to 8;800 from the current 249 degrees to a new MEX radial of 253.
A319 flight crew reports not complying with the NOTAM change to the SMO Radial and altitude for the ILS 5R at MMMX due to workload and weather distractions.