B737-700
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 289; Flight Crew Type 6250
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Environment - Non Weather Related; Aircraft; Human Factors
Descending into SLC on the WAATS 3 Arrival (landing south); we were approaching QUIPA. Approach Control gave us a new altitude assignment of 11;000 FT. At that very moment; our attention was diverted to the LEGS page because of a sudden route discontinuity that appeared just as we were about to cross QUIPA. This caused us to overshoot QUIPA by a considerable amount. We were later told that our clearance was 11;000 FT but we both must have been thinking 10;000 FT; and we can probably attribute this to the distraction of quickly trying to get back on our proper route. We were later informed that GPS jamming had started at that precise time in the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). This would explain the sudden discontinuity. As we were about to level at 10;000 FT we were told to maintain 11;000 FT and we were given a vector heading toward the north. A change of runway assignment was also issued to us at this approximate time; further contributing to our 'perfect storm' of task saturation. We climbed back up to 11;000 FT and continued an uneventful approach and landing. We did not receive any TCAS Alerts; and we were later told that no loss of separation occurred. Pay closer attention to altitude window setting. Broadcast GPS jamming NOTAM's at start time and during jamming activity.
B737 First Officer reports an altitude and track deviation during the WAATS 3 arrival to SLC. Approaching QUIPA the crew is issued a descent to 11;000 FT and a runway change at the same time military jamming of GPS commences. This results in a route discontinuity and a track deviation; along with a descent to 10;000 FT instead of 11;000 FT.