Altitude overshot on descent.

Attributes
ACN	159063
Time
Date	199010
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : srp
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : phx
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	159060
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	159063
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Woke up at xa:05 (central) for a xa:45 van for xb:30 show after a night of getting to bed at yb:00 only to listen to jack hammers in front of hotel through xd:00. Also suffering from affects of tooth extraction 3 days prior (aspirin used). Incident occurred on last leg at xl:00 (central) PNF, first officer, had gone off ATC to get ATIS. We were cleared to 9000 were descending through 11000'. I rogered for it. I didn't reset altitude alert, don't know why. When first officer came back the alert went off. He jumped. I said 'it's ok, we're cleared to 7000''. He reset altitude alert to 7000. Passing 8500 approach control asked our altitude. We said 8200. He said we were cleared to 9000. Nothing more said. No excuses but this was fatigue physiologically caused, I probably should not have flown the 3 day anyway but once on it, short of fever or other debilitating condition I was bound to fly the sequence. Bad judgement, fatigued, complacency routine, lack of discipline which comes first? I make it a practice in my cockpit that both of us ask what has transpired while the other was off ATC. The first officer did his job. I had no doubt it was 7000. (It normally is) so we whistled through 9000. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter participated in the boeing study. Made the comment the incident probably happened because of anticipating the normal clearance to 7000. Felt separation was probably lost.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOT ON DESCENT.

Narrative: WOKE UP AT XA:05 (CENTRAL) FOR A XA:45 VAN FOR XB:30 SHOW AFTER A NIGHT OF GETTING TO BED AT YB:00 ONLY TO LISTEN TO JACK HAMMERS IN FRONT OF HOTEL THROUGH XD:00. ALSO SUFFERING FROM AFFECTS OF TOOTH EXTRACTION 3 DAYS PRIOR (ASPIRIN USED). INCIDENT OCCURRED ON LAST LEG AT XL:00 (CENTRAL) PNF, F/O, HAD GONE OFF ATC TO GET ATIS. WE WERE CLRED TO 9000 WERE DSNDING THROUGH 11000'. I ROGERED FOR IT. I DIDN'T RESET ALT ALERT, DON'T KNOW WHY. WHEN F/O CAME BACK THE ALERT WENT OFF. HE JUMPED. I SAID 'IT'S OK, WE'RE CLRED TO 7000''. HE RESET ALT ALERT TO 7000. PASSING 8500 APCH CTL ASKED OUR ALT. WE SAID 8200. HE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 9000. NOTHING MORE SAID. NO EXCUSES BUT THIS WAS FATIGUE PHYSIOLOGICALLY CAUSED, I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE 3 DAY ANYWAY BUT ONCE ON IT, SHORT OF FEVER OR OTHER DEBILITATING CONDITION I WAS BOUND TO FLY THE SEQUENCE. BAD JUDGEMENT, FATIGUED, COMPLACENCY ROUTINE, LACK OF DISCIPLINE WHICH COMES FIRST? I MAKE IT A PRACTICE IN MY COCKPIT THAT BOTH OF US ASK WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED WHILE THE OTHER WAS OFF ATC. THE F/O DID HIS JOB. I HAD NO DOUBT IT WAS 7000. (IT NORMALLY IS) SO WE WHISTLED THROUGH 9000. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR PARTICIPATED IN THE BOEING STUDY. MADE THE COMMENT THE INCIDENT PROBABLY HAPPENED BECAUSE OF ANTICIPATING THE NORMAL CLRNC TO 7000. FELT SEPARATION WAS PROBABLY LOST.

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.