Air carrier medium large transport altitude overshoot in descent.

Attributes
ACN	144385
Time
Date	199004
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	144385
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Another altitude bust in the 'brand X air carrier medium large transport'. I've never in my career had so many altitude busts until I got in this airplane. The scenario is all too familiar. One pilot involved in approach phase miscellany (ATIS, checklist, etc) the other pilot trusting the autoplt to make the level off and getting involved in something else at the last min. Next is the sound of the altitude warning and a mad scramble to level the aircraft off before ATC notices. This time we made it down to 500' too low due to a high rate of descent engendered by a crossing restriction given too close in by ATC. My fault for assuming the first officer had it under control. His fault for assuming the autoplt had it. The designers /flight mgrs/flight instrs (etc) fault for encouraging maximum utilization for the autoplt which has the net effect of taking the pilot out of the loop in spite of your best intentions. Human beings are not good 'monitors' of machinery, the mind tends to wander if there is no need to actively control the process.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT OVERSHOOT IN DESCENT.

Narrative: ANOTHER ALT BUST IN THE 'BRAND X ACR MLG'. I'VE NEVER IN MY CAREER HAD SO MANY ALT BUSTS UNTIL I GOT IN THIS AIRPLANE. THE SCENARIO IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR. ONE PLT INVOLVED IN APCH PHASE MISCELLANY (ATIS, CHKLIST, ETC) THE OTHER PLT TRUSTING THE AUTOPLT TO MAKE THE LEVEL OFF AND GETTING INVOLVED IN SOMETHING ELSE AT THE LAST MIN. NEXT IS THE SOUND OF THE ALT WARNING AND A MAD SCRAMBLE TO LEVEL THE ACFT OFF BEFORE ATC NOTICES. THIS TIME WE MADE IT DOWN TO 500' TOO LOW DUE TO A HIGH RATE OF DSNT ENGENDERED BY A XING RESTRICTION GIVEN TOO CLOSE IN BY ATC. MY FAULT FOR ASSUMING THE F/O HAD IT UNDER CTL. HIS FAULT FOR ASSUMING THE AUTOPLT HAD IT. THE DESIGNERS /FLT MGRS/FLT INSTRS (ETC) FAULT FOR ENCOURAGING MAX UTILIZATION FOR THE AUTOPLT WHICH HAS THE NET EFFECT OF TAKING THE PLT OUT OF THE LOOP IN SPITE OF YOUR BEST INTENTIONS. HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT GOOD 'MONITORS' OF MACHINERY, THE MIND TENDS TO WANDER IF THERE IS NO NEED TO ACTIVELY CTL THE PROCESS.

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.