<< >> NASA ASRS Report 126289, October 1989

Commuter light transport altitude deviation overshot during descent. Claim that airline management forces flight crew to fly when ill.

Attributes
ACN	126289
Time
Date	198910
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fll
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 9900 flight time type : 375
ASRS Report	126289
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were busy! We were on approach control being vectored left and right. We were given a descent to 3000' from 6000'. Then we were given a change to 5000'. The autoplt was flying and alerted properly for 5000', but failed to level off at 5000. Meantime, we were busy with checklists and constant heading changes from approach control. At 3500' approach control told us to climb back up to 4000'. We did. Still more, many more heading changes. I was tired. 4 days of getting up at XA00 am and very few meals. Our company has a habit of making flight crews work 12-16 hours with no meals and very different hours from day to day. We also have a habit of not calling in sick, when we should, because the chief pilot refuses to acknowledge anyone's illness or non fitness to fly. So, we fly tired, ill, and hungry. Welcome to commuter flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING DESCENT. CLAIM THAT AIRLINE MANAGEMENT FORCES FLT CREW TO FLY WHEN ILL.

Narrative: WE WERE BUSY! WE WERE ON APCH CTL BEING VECTORED LEFT AND RIGHT. WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 3000' FROM 6000'. THEN WE WERE GIVEN A CHANGE TO 5000'. THE AUTOPLT WAS FLYING AND ALERTED PROPERLY FOR 5000', BUT FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000. MEANTIME, WE WERE BUSY WITH CHECKLISTS AND CONSTANT HDG CHANGES FROM APCH CTL. AT 3500' APCH CTL TOLD US TO CLIMB BACK UP TO 4000'. WE DID. STILL MORE, MANY MORE HDG CHANGES. I WAS TIRED. 4 DAYS OF GETTING UP AT XA00 AM AND VERY FEW MEALS. OUR COMPANY HAS A HABIT OF MAKING FLT CREWS WORK 12-16 HRS WITH NO MEALS AND VERY DIFFERENT HRS FROM DAY TO DAY. WE ALSO HAVE A HABIT OF NOT CALLING IN SICK, WHEN WE SHOULD, BECAUSE THE CHIEF PLT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANYONE'S ILLNESS OR NON FITNESS TO FLY. SO, WE FLY TIRED, ILL, AND HUNGRY. WELCOME TO COMMUTER FLYING.

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.