Narrative:

The problem arose when we descended to the wrong altitude. The error was discovered by center when he asked us our altitude, we replied 10000. He said 'you read back 11000'. Our altitude reminder was set at 10000 and we were cruising level at 10. Center then told us to climb to 11000, which we did. I admitted our mistake and thanked center for discovering it. He replied that someone else discovered it, I assumed it was a supervisor. In any event, I feel the problem was caused when the wrong altitude was placed in the altitude reminder, and went undetected by any crew member. Human performance considerations must include for at least me personally, my preoccupation with a concern over my daughter's health. So much so in fact, that I considered calling in sick for my trip and going to her side. I feel west/O that preoccupation I would have caught the error before it took place. I am grateful that in this particular event, my mistake was only a potential problem and caused no real danger to anyone and that center was alert enough to catch the error and correct it before it caused a problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: captain reporter accepts full blame for the altitude deviation. He said that the crews he files with not are not nearly as sharp as the crews that were lost as a result of a strike.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 11000' BUT DESCENDED TO 10000'.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN WE DSNDED TO THE WRONG ALT. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED BY CTR WHEN HE ASKED US OUR ALT, WE REPLIED 10000. HE SAID 'YOU READ BACK 11000'. OUR ALT REMINDER WAS SET AT 10000 AND WE WERE CRUISING LEVEL AT 10. CTR THEN TOLD US TO CLB TO 11000, WHICH WE DID. I ADMITTED OUR MISTAKE AND THANKED CTR FOR DISCOVERING IT. HE REPLIED THAT SOMEONE ELSE DISCOVERED IT, I ASSUMED IT WAS A SUPVR. IN ANY EVENT, I FEEL THE PROB WAS CAUSED WHEN THE WRONG ALT WAS PLACED IN THE ALT REMINDER, AND WENT UNDETECTED BY ANY CREW MEMBER. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS MUST INCLUDE FOR AT LEAST ME PERSONALLY, MY PREOCCUPATION WITH A CONCERN OVER MY DAUGHTER'S HEALTH. SO MUCH SO IN FACT, THAT I CONSIDERED CALLING IN SICK FOR MY TRIP AND GOING TO HER SIDE. I FEEL W/O THAT PREOCCUPATION I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR BEFORE IT TOOK PLACE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, MY MISTAKE WAS ONLY A POTENTIAL PROB AND CAUSED NO REAL DANGER TO ANYONE AND THAT CTR WAS ALERT ENOUGH TO CATCH THE ERROR AND CORRECT IT BEFORE IT CAUSED A PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CAPT RPTR ACCEPTS FULL BLAME FOR THE ALT DEVIATION. HE SAID THAT THE CREWS HE FILES WITH NOT ARE NOT NEARLY AS SHARP AS THE CREWS THAT WERE LOST AS A RESULT OF A STRIKE.

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.