Narrative:

I was flying as captain and my copilot was a senior captain. As copilot, the senior captain I was flying with is very insistent about keeping the charts and only telling you what he determines you need to know. He becomes very perturbed when I request to see a chart myself. Because we only had one leg this day I made the poor decision to not ask to see the charts. I felt that I was familiar with the area so asking him to see the charts would only make waves. We were cleared to descend to an altitude of FL260. We descended normally, however, when we were nearing FL260 we were also arriving over nottingham VOR and I needed the new radial outbnd. I was straining to see the arrival chart that was being covered up by the other pilot. I inadvertently descended 300' below my assigned altitude. A few minutes later ATC gave us another descent. This time to cross an intersection at 15,000'. I knew the fix was close so I started down right away. I asked my copilot what the DME was to the fix. He was talking on the other radio to our hangar and seemed annoyed at my question. When he snapped the answer back at me it was not very clear. Again I made the mistake of straining to see the arrival chart that was being covered up. When we arrived over the fix he was nice enough to inform me that I was 1000' high. I realize that it sounds as though I put blame on the other pilot. This could not be further from how I really feel. The blame can only lay with the captain of the flight. In the future, I will never let intimidation stand in the way of responsibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP MDT HAS ALT DEVIATION AND MISSED CROSSING RESTRICTION IN QUICK SUCCESSION DUE POOR CREW COORD.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS CAPT AND MY COPLT WAS A SENIOR CAPT. AS COPLT, THE SENIOR CAPT I WAS FLYING WITH IS VERY INSISTENT ABOUT KEEPING THE CHARTS AND ONLY TELLING YOU WHAT HE DETERMINES YOU NEED TO KNOW. HE BECOMES VERY PERTURBED WHEN I REQUEST TO SEE A CHART MYSELF. BECAUSE WE ONLY HAD ONE LEG THIS DAY I MADE THE POOR DECISION TO NOT ASK TO SEE THE CHARTS. I FELT THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA SO ASKING HIM TO SEE THE CHARTS WOULD ONLY MAKE WAVES. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO AN ALT OF FL260. WE DESCENDED NORMALLY, HOWEVER, WHEN WE WERE NEARING FL260 WE WERE ALSO ARRIVING OVER NOTTINGHAM VOR AND I NEEDED THE NEW RADIAL OUTBND. I WAS STRAINING TO SEE THE ARR CHART THAT WAS BEING COVERED UP BY THE OTHER PLT. I INADVERTENTLY DESCENDED 300' BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT. A FEW MINUTES LATER ATC GAVE US ANOTHER DSCNT. THIS TIME TO CROSS AN INTXN AT 15,000'. I KNEW THE FIX WAS CLOSE SO I STARTED DOWN RIGHT AWAY. I ASKED MY COPLT WHAT THE DME WAS TO THE FIX. HE WAS TALKING ON THE OTHER RADIO TO OUR HANGAR AND SEEMED ANNOYED AT MY QUESTION. WHEN HE SNAPPED THE ANSWER BACK AT ME IT WAS NOT VERY CLEAR. AGAIN I MADE THE MISTAKE OF STRAINING TO SEE THE ARR CHART THAT WAS BEING COVERED UP. WHEN WE ARRIVED OVER THE FIX HE WAS NICE ENOUGH TO INFORM ME THAT I WAS 1000' HIGH. I REALIZE THAT IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH I PUT BLAME ON THE OTHER PLT. THIS COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM HOW I REALLY FEEL. THE BLAME CAN ONLY LAY WITH THE CAPT OF THE FLT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NEVER LET INTIMIDATION STAND IN THE WAY OF RESPONSIBILITY.

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.