Altitude deviation on climb blamed on fatigue. Work scheduling of flight crews protested. Discomfort of hand-flying aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	143156
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp tracon : roa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 2010 flight time type : 610
ASRS Report	143156
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 5000
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared after takeoff to climb to 5000'. At 5800' the captain, now PNF, noticed the altitude and the first officer (PF) immediately corrected by pushing the nose down, at which time msp departure assigned a higher altitude. On the same leg we are not sure if we were cleared to land at our destination airport. Crew fatigue was the leading factor in these occurrences. Lack of altitude alert, autoplt, were contributing factors. We had flown over 23 hours in the past 4 days, 9.5 hours the day before with 9 hours reduced rest and a pre-dawn show time. Hand flying an aircraft 7 hours a day with 8+ legs, with seats that are uncomfortable (they only adjust up-down, forward-back) and the noise and vibration levels of turbo-propeller aircraft leads to crew fatigue at a faster rate than aircraft that have autoplts and more comfortable seats, which have greater range of adjustment. With predawn show times, many times the restaurants at the hotels are not open and therefore no breakfast, and many times no breaks long enough to grab a bite to eat the rest of the day also leads to crew fatigue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION ON CLIMB BLAMED ON FATIGUE. WORK SCHEDULING OF FLT CREWS PROTESTED. DISCOMFORT OF HAND-FLYING ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED AFTER TKOF TO CLB TO 5000'. AT 5800' THE CAPT, NOW PNF, NOTICED THE ALT AND THE F/O (PF) IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BY PUSHING THE NOSE DOWN, AT WHICH TIME MSP DEP ASSIGNED A HIGHER ALT. ON THE SAME LEG WE ARE NOT SURE IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AT OUR DEST ARPT. CREW FATIGUE WAS THE LEADING FACTOR IN THESE OCCURRENCES. LACK OF ALT ALERT, AUTOPLT, WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. WE HAD FLOWN OVER 23 HRS IN THE PAST 4 DAYS, 9.5 HRS THE DAY BEFORE WITH 9 HRS REDUCED REST AND A PRE-DAWN SHOW TIME. HAND FLYING AN ACFT 7 HRS A DAY WITH 8+ LEGS, WITH SEATS THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLE (THEY ONLY ADJUST UP-DOWN, FORWARD-BACK) AND THE NOISE AND VIBRATION LEVELS OF TURBO-PROP ACFT LEADS TO CREW FATIGUE AT A FASTER RATE THAN ACFT THAT HAVE AUTOPLTS AND MORE COMFORTABLE SEATS, WHICH HAVE GREATER RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT. WITH PREDAWN SHOW TIMES, MANY TIMES THE RESTAURANTS AT THE HOTELS ARE NOT OPEN AND THEREFORE NO BREAKFAST, AND MANY TIMES NO BREAKS LONG ENOUGH TO GRAB A BITE TO EAT THE REST OF THE DAY ALSO LEADS TO CREW FATIGUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.