Narrative:

The copilot had just leveled off at 10000' MSL. Center asked us what our altitude was. When I told him 10000', he informed us that we had been cleared to 11000'. The controller then cleared us to maintain 10000'. I had set 10000' in the altitude alert when we received our clearance for descent. The copilot and I could not determine if I had misunderstood the clearance, and set the altitude I incorrectly thought we were cleared to, or if I had understood the correct altitude clearance and just inadvertently set the wrong altitude. The scary part to all this is that both of us were busy with our regular cockpit duties when this occurred. This is just another altitude bust that is all too familiar to medium large transport crews. We are both competent, professional and well-trained pilots. We were doing our job as we were trained to do it. Yet, another altitude bust occurs in the medium large transport. There are no easy answers to this problem. Crew members in this aircraft become saturated with an assortment of duties at the most critical phases of flight. If the industry and government leaders really want to solve this problem, maybe they should rethink the 2-PERSON cockpit concept.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION IN DESCENT. WRONG ALT SET IN ALT ALERT. REPORTERS CITE 2-MAN CREW CONCEPT AND SATURATION OF TASKS AS CAUSAL.

Narrative: THE COPLT HAD JUST LEVELED OFF AT 10000' MSL. CENTER ASKED US WHAT OUR ALT WAS. WHEN I TOLD HIM 10000', HE INFORMED US THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 11000'. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 10000'. I HAD SET 10000' IN THE ALT ALERT WHEN WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC FOR DSCNT. THE COPLT AND I COULD NOT DETERMINE IF I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC, AND SET THE ALT I INCORRECTLY THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO, OR IF I HAD UNDERSTOOD THE CORRECT ALT CLRNC AND JUST INADVERTENTLY SET THE WRONG ALT. THE SCARY PART TO ALL THIS IS THAT BOTH OF US WERE BUSY WITH OUR REGULAR COCKPIT DUTIES WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ALT BUST THAT IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR TO MLG CREWS. WE ARE BOTH COMPETENT, PROFESSIONAL AND WELL-TRAINED PLTS. WE WERE DOING OUR JOB AS WE WERE TRAINED TO DO IT. YET, ANOTHER ALT BUST OCCURS IN THE MLG. THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS TO THIS PROB. CREW MEMBERS IN THIS ACFT BECOME SATURATED WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF DUTIES AT THE MOST CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. IF THE INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS REALLY WANT TO SOLVE THIS PROB, MAYBE THEY SHOULD RETHINK THE 2-PERSON COCKPIT CONCEPT.

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.