Altitude overshoot on descent.

Attributes
ACN	123335
Time
Date	198909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aex
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8300 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu tracon : aex
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	123335
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Altitude violation occurred on descent into alexandria, la. Center cleared us to 11,000 and handed us off to approach. While contacting approach we descended to 8300' before realizing error. Rate of descent was 3000 FPM due to late descent clearance. Center was unable to descend us until last minute. Crew was preoccupied with descent planning and in-range chocks, setting up for approach when altitude deviation occurred. Crew had a legal duty day, but last 2 days crew had been on reduced rest with compensatory rest to minimum allowed. Crew was extremely fatigued due to min legal rest and rather lengthy duty day. Crew had been on duty over 12 hours. Suggestive action: increase rest periods. Min rest periods are adequate provided you aren't flown to those mins 6 days in a row. It's simply too fatiguing. There were many simply mistakes made this flight, etc. Missed calls, misunderstanding heading/altitude assignment/frequency changes. Most of these errors were caught by one of the crew, the altitude deviation on the last leg of a 13.2 hour duty day with minimum required rest was just unavoidable. Please research increased required rest periods.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOOT ON DESCENT.

Narrative: ALT VIOLATION OCCURRED ON DSCNT INTO ALEXANDRIA, LA. CENTER CLRED US TO 11,000 AND HANDED US OFF TO APCH. WHILE CONTACTING APCH WE DESCENDED TO 8300' BEFORE REALIZING ERROR. RATE OF DSCNT WAS 3000 FPM DUE TO LATE DSCNT CLRNC. CENTER WAS UNABLE TO DSND US UNTIL LAST MINUTE. CREW WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH DSCNT PLANNING AND IN-RANGE CHOCKS, SETTING UP FOR APCH WHEN ALT DEVIATION OCCURRED. CREW HAD A LEGAL DUTY DAY, BUT LAST 2 DAYS CREW HAD BEEN ON REDUCED REST WITH COMPENSATORY REST TO MINIMUM ALLOWED. CREW WAS EXTREMELY FATIGUED DUE TO MIN LEGAL REST AND RATHER LENGTHY DUTY DAY. CREW HAD BEEN ON DUTY OVER 12 HRS. SUGGESTIVE ACTION: INCREASE REST PERIODS. MIN REST PERIODS ARE ADEQUATE PROVIDED YOU AREN'T FLOWN TO THOSE MINS 6 DAYS IN A ROW. IT'S SIMPLY TOO FATIGUING. THERE WERE MANY SIMPLY MISTAKES MADE THIS FLT, ETC. MISSED CALLS, MISUNDERSTANDING HDG/ALT ASSIGNMENT/FREQ CHANGES. MOST OF THESE ERRORS WERE CAUGHT BY ONE OF THE CREW, THE ALT DEVIATION ON THE LAST LEG OF A 13.2 HR DUTY DAY WITH MINIMUM REQUIRED REST WAS JUST UNAVOIDABLE. PLEASE RESEARCH INCREASED REQUIRED REST PERIODS.

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.