Narrative:

During descent into clt on the ctf 3 arrival, the turbulence started to increase to moderate again in heavy rainshowers. The captain requested twice for the flight attendants to be called and told to take their seats. Although I thought this to be a poor use of our time in demanding conditions since the flight engineer didn't respond, I got on the interphone and told the flight attendants to take their seats. While I was on the interphone, ATC issued a clearance to cross the ctf VOR at what I thought I heard the captain readback 10000' and 250 KTS. I then set the altitude alerter to 10000'. Since I hadn't heard the clearance from ATC, I then very precisely asked the captain if the clearance was definitely to cross at 1000' and he said it was. The check airman flight engineer definitely heard me do this at about 11500' and 5 mi from the VOR, the captain started giving a passenger announcement which I considered another poor use of time, and didn't appear to be making proper progress in making the crossing restr. He then indicated for me to fly the aircraft down to 10000'. Upon reaching 10000' ATC called us and asked us our altitude. We informed them we were at 10000' as assigned and he told us our assigned altitude was 11000' and to climb to 11000', so we did. The main contributing factors to the event were: 1) moderate turbulence and heavy rainshowers, 2) high noise level from the rain, 3) new flight engineer not responding to the captain's request to call the flight attendants, 4) captain requesting 4 times for the flight attendants to be called west/O using a name as to whom he wanted to make the call, 5) the fonot hearing the clearance in question because he was calling the flight attendants, and 6) a radar in which the gain was not working correctly and which was requiring extra attention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING DESCENT.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO CLT ON THE CTF 3 ARR, THE TURB STARTED TO INCREASE TO MODERATE AGAIN IN HEAVY RAINSHOWERS. THE CAPT REQUESTED TWICE FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE CALLED AND TOLD TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT THIS TO BE A POOR USE OF OUR TIME IN DEMANDING CONDITIONS SINCE THE FE DIDN'T RESPOND, I GOT ON THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERPHONE, ATC ISSUED A CLRNC TO CROSS THE CTF VOR AT WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD THE CAPT READBACK 10000' AND 250 KTS. I THEN SET THE ALT ALERTER TO 10000'. SINCE I HADN'T HEARD THE CLRNC FROM ATC, I THEN VERY PRECISELY ASKED THE CAPT IF THE CLRNC WAS DEFINITELY TO CROSS AT 1000' AND HE SAID IT WAS. THE CHK AIRMAN FE DEFINITELY HEARD ME DO THIS AT ABOUT 11500' AND 5 MI FROM THE VOR, THE CAPT STARTED GIVING A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT WHICH I CONSIDERED ANOTHER POOR USE OF TIME, AND DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE MAKING PROPER PROGRESS IN MAKING THE XING RESTR. HE THEN INDICATED FOR ME TO FLY THE ACFT DOWN TO 10000'. UPON REACHING 10000' ATC CALLED US AND ASKED US OUR ALT. WE INFORMED THEM WE WERE AT 10000' AS ASSIGNED AND HE TOLD US OUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS 11000' AND TO CLB TO 11000', SO WE DID. THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE EVENT WERE: 1) MODERATE TURB AND HEAVY RAINSHOWERS, 2) HIGH NOISE LEVEL FROM THE RAIN, 3) NEW FE NOT RESPONDING TO THE CAPT'S REQUEST TO CALL THE FLT ATTENDANTS, 4) CAPT REQUESTING 4 TIMES FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE CALLED W/O USING A NAME AS TO WHOM HE WANTED TO MAKE THE CALL, 5) THE FONOT HEARING THE CLRNC IN QUESTION BECAUSE HE WAS CALLING THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND 6) A RADAR IN WHICH THE GAIN WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND WHICH WAS REQUIRING EXTRA ATTN.

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.