Altitude deviation by flight crew of medium large transport.

Attributes
ACN	130440
Time
Date	198912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5600 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sat
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	130440
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4350 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	130215
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First time ever for either pilot at sat airport. First officer was flying. I was taking advantage of clear conditions to spend most of time looking out to orient myself with the local area. Autoplt off. Cleared to 6000' and VFR traffic advised at 2 O'clock at 5500'. I checked to see that she leveled at 6. Took another look outside then looked down to check gate location relative to landing runway. Heard altitude alerter go off. Checked altitude as we were 400' below 6000. I grabbed yoke and throttles and yanked aircraft back up to 6000 while adding power. We had gone 400-500' low. First officer had spotted VFR traffic off right wing and while watching this traffic had neglected to check altitude and let aircraft go below 6000'. After returning control of aircraft to first officer, she allowed it to go 300' high before I pushed it back down to 6000. Uneventful after that as we were cleared visual to runway 12 after clearing traffic. Human factors: I am uncomfortable flying with female pilots. I allowed myself to relax a little because of the good WX. My background is single seat military and I resent having to watch every move the other pilot makes. I realize this is contrary to the rationale of my 'big' salary but I still don't like it. There are secondary factors as broad as deregulation and as narrow as our most recent merger which I know have detracted from my own performance in the last several years. It seems the mind is never 100% on the job at hand any more.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION BY FLT CREW OF MLG.

Narrative: FIRST TIME EVER FOR EITHER PLT AT SAT ARPT. F/O WAS FLYING. I WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CLEAR CONDITIONS TO SPEND MOST OF TIME LOOKING OUT TO ORIENT MYSELF WITH THE LOCAL AREA. AUTOPLT OFF. CLRED TO 6000' AND VFR TFC ADVISED AT 2 O'CLOCK AT 5500'. I CHECKED TO SEE THAT SHE LEVELED AT 6. TOOK ANOTHER LOOK OUTSIDE THEN LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK GATE LOCATION RELATIVE TO LNDG RWY. HEARD ALT ALERTER GO OFF. CHECKED ALT AS WE WERE 400' BELOW 6000. I GRABBED YOKE AND THROTTLES AND YANKED ACFT BACK UP TO 6000 WHILE ADDING POWER. WE HAD GONE 400-500' LOW. F/O HAD SPOTTED VFR TFC OFF RIGHT WING AND WHILE WATCHING THIS TFC HAD NEGLECTED TO CHECK ALT AND LET ACFT GO BELOW 6000'. AFTER RETURNING CONTROL OF ACFT TO F/O, SHE ALLOWED IT TO GO 300' HIGH BEFORE I PUSHED IT BACK DOWN TO 6000. UNEVENTFUL AFTER THAT AS WE WERE CLRED VISUAL TO RWY 12 AFTER CLEARING TFC. HUMAN FACTORS: I AM UNCOMFORTABLE FLYING WITH FEMALE PLTS. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO RELAX A LITTLE BECAUSE OF THE GOOD WX. MY BACKGROUND IS SINGLE SEAT MIL AND I RESENT HAVING TO WATCH EVERY MOVE THE OTHER PLT MAKES. I REALIZE THIS IS CONTRARY TO THE RATIONALE OF MY 'BIG' SALARY BUT I STILL DON'T LIKE IT. THERE ARE SECONDARY FACTORS AS BROAD AS DEREGULATION AND AS NARROW AS OUR MOST RECENT MERGER WHICH I KNOW HAVE DETRACTED FROM MY OWN PERFORMANCE IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. IT SEEMS THE MIND IS NEVER 100% ON THE JOB AT HAND ANY MORE.

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.