Narrative:

The flight was a routine transportation of a university official for business. Though a professor was the understood person in charge, it is a practice for him to let the person chosen to go on the trip do the flying on one leg, while he flies the other. The event occurred on my leg, and I was legally PIC, despite my obvious subordination to the 'real' captain. We were cleared to descend from 5000 to 3000', and I began the descent about 18 mi out. Throughout the flight, the captain routinely 'hassles' the person flying about anything amiss. Propeller sync, leaning, airspeed, vertical speed, altitude, course, and general handling of the aircraft are under constant perfectionist scrutiny. While this has its merits, the situations truly needing correction wouldn't receive proper attention in due time. Being hassled only disrupts scan patterns, habits and priorities under progress, and creates a very tense cockpit, which is unsafe in any aircraft. As we passed through our assigned altitude, I was apparently being distracted by one of the captain's red herrings, and continued the descent. Another contributing factor was my lack of recent flying 'in the system.' as a CFI, I do not have much opportunity to go anywhere under IFR. These trips are normally made VFR, and I suppose I was thinking of a VFR constant-rate letdown to pattern altitude. At 2500' MSL the captain reminded me of our assigned altitude (3000') for the first time, and I immediately executed a vy climb back to 3000'. Since we were not in a radar environment, I don't believe the computer caught me, but the event could have happened anywhere. I gave myself a severe reprimand for such ridiculously sloppy flying. Future recommendations: the person designated as PIC of a flight should feel as much authority over the other crew members as the responsibility entails. I will not allow this man to be my overlord anymore unless his name is on the flight plan. The cockpit atmosphere is consistently tense, and coordination is atrocious. This situation will not occur again--my career can't afford it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A ROUTINE TRANSPORTATION OF A UNIVERSITY OFFICIAL FOR BUSINESS. THOUGH A PROFESSOR WAS THE UNDERSTOOD PERSON IN CHARGE, IT IS A PRACTICE FOR HIM TO LET THE PERSON CHOSEN TO GO ON THE TRIP DO THE FLYING ON ONE LEG, WHILE HE FLIES THE OTHER. THE EVENT OCCURRED ON MY LEG, AND I WAS LEGALLY PIC, DESPITE MY OBVIOUS SUBORDINATION TO THE 'REAL' CAPT. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM 5000 TO 3000', AND I BEGAN THE DSCNT ABOUT 18 MI OUT. THROUGHOUT THE FLT, THE CAPT ROUTINELY 'HASSLES' THE PERSON FLYING ABOUT ANYTHING AMISS. PROP SYNC, LEANING, AIRSPD, VERT SPD, ALT, COURSE, AND GENERAL HANDLING OF THE ACFT ARE UNDER CONSTANT PERFECTIONIST SCRUTINY. WHILE THIS HAS ITS MERITS, THE SITUATIONS TRULY NEEDING CORRECTION WOULDN'T RECEIVE PROPER ATTN IN DUE TIME. BEING HASSLED ONLY DISRUPTS SCAN PATTERNS, HABITS AND PRIORITIES UNDER PROGRESS, AND CREATES A VERY TENSE COCKPIT, WHICH IS UNSAFE IN ANY ACFT. AS WE PASSED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT, I WAS APPARENTLY BEING DISTRACTED BY ONE OF THE CAPT'S RED HERRINGS, AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS MY LACK OF RECENT FLYING 'IN THE SYS.' AS A CFI, I DO NOT HAVE MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO GO ANYWHERE UNDER IFR. THESE TRIPS ARE NORMALLY MADE VFR, AND I SUPPOSE I WAS THINKING OF A VFR CONSTANT-RATE LETDOWN TO PATTERN ALT. AT 2500' MSL THE CAPT REMINDED ME OF OUR ASSIGNED ALT (3000') FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A VY CLB BACK TO 3000'. SINCE WE WERE NOT IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT, I DON'T BELIEVE THE COMPUTER CAUGHT ME, BUT THE EVENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE. I GAVE MYSELF A SEVERE REPRIMAND FOR SUCH RIDICULOUSLY SLOPPY FLYING. FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS: THE PERSON DESIGNATED AS PIC OF A FLT SHOULD FEEL AS MUCH AUTHORITY OVER THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS AS THE RESPONSIBILITY ENTAILS. I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS MAN TO BE MY OVERLORD ANYMORE UNLESS HIS NAME IS ON THE FLT PLAN. THE COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE IS CONSISTENTLY TENSE, AND COORD IS ATROCIOUS. THIS SITUATION WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN--MY CAREER CAN'T AFFORD IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.