Narrative:

Air carrier X arriving at bna was assigned 8000' from ZME. He called me descending out of 9000 for 8000'. ZME called and asked if he had been descended. I looked and noticed air carrier X was level at 7000' and converging on a cpr also assigned 7000'. I immediately descended the cpr Y to 6000' and turned air carrier X to the northwest on a 330 degree heading to obtain sep. Supplemental information from acn 174200: descending into bna, the controller came across and gave us a 90 degree turn to the right and told us that we were instructed to level off at 8000' instead of our present altitude of 7000'. It appears there was a traffic conflict because of our wrong altitude. In retrospect I, the first officer, was flying the aircraft and the captain was handling the radios. This was our third leg in what I call a day with continuous moderate turbulence which was tiring to both of us. I do remember receiving the clearance to descend to 8000' and initiating that descent. We both verified the altitude and I set what I thought was the correct altitude in the 'window.' the captain wasn't using our new company altitude awareness program of PNF setting the altitude in the window and visually verifying it was the PF. So what appears to have happened was the captain and I both hearing 8000' from bna approach and verifying it orally, I then set the altitude in the window while flying the aircraft by hand trying to get down to a smoother altitude for our passenger. I think that a combination of flying the aircraft by hand, the turbulence, poor procedures and fatigue possibly caused 7000' to be placed in the window and the incident. The altitude alert might have been jarred by my hand because of the moderate turbulence. Supplemental information from acn 174415: we were on the geetr approach into bna in light to moderate turbulence. I was switched to approach control and called out of 9000 for 8000'. I saw 8000' on the altitude alerter and we leveled at 8000'. ATC said to slow (the previous controller) because they were putting cpr Y in front of us. I had him in sight and was wondering if he could be at our altitude when approach gave us a 90 degree turn to the right. I then noticed we were at 7000' and the alerter was at 7000'. ATC queried us about our altitude. We practiced company new altitude awareness program to the fullest. I feel I was watching the aircraft out of the window and switching my manual from the arrival to the 20L approach plate, doing the preliminary approach checklist. Maybe the first officer put 7000' mistakenly in the altitude alerter and I didn't catch it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM CPR Y. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ACR X ARRIVING AT BNA WAS ASSIGNED 8000' FROM ZME. HE CALLED ME DSNDING OUT OF 9000 FOR 8000'. ZME CALLED AND ASKED IF HE HAD BEEN DSNDED. I LOOKED AND NOTICED ACR X WAS LEVEL AT 7000' AND CONVERGING ON A CPR ALSO ASSIGNED 7000'. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED THE CPR Y TO 6000' AND TURNED ACR X TO THE NW ON A 330 DEG HDG TO OBTAIN SEP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 174200: DSNDING INTO BNA, THE CTLR CAME ACROSS AND GAVE US A 90 DEG TURN TO THE RIGHT AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO LEVEL OFF AT 8000' INSTEAD OF OUR PRESENT ALT OF 7000'. IT APPEARS THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT BECAUSE OF OUR WRONG ALT. IN RETROSPECT I, THE F/O, WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND THE CAPT WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS. THIS WAS OUR THIRD LEG IN WHAT I CALL A DAY WITH CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB WHICH WAS TIRING TO BOTH OF US. I DO REMEMBER RECEIVING THE CLRNC TO DSND TO 8000' AND INITIATING THAT DSNT. WE BOTH VERIFIED THE ALT AND I SET WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE CORRECT ALT IN THE 'WINDOW.' THE CAPT WASN'T USING OUR NEW COMPANY ALT AWARENESS PROGRAM OF PNF SETTING THE ALT IN THE WINDOW AND VISUALLY VERIFYING IT WAS THE PF. SO WHAT APPEARS TO HAVE HAPPENED WAS THE CAPT AND I BOTH HEARING 8000' FROM BNA APCH AND VERIFYING IT ORALLY, I THEN SET THE ALT IN THE WINDOW WHILE FLYING THE ACFT BY HAND TRYING TO GET DOWN TO A SMOOTHER ALT FOR OUR PAX. I THINK THAT A COMBINATION OF FLYING THE ACFT BY HAND, THE TURB, POOR PROCS AND FATIGUE POSSIBLY CAUSED 7000' TO BE PLACED IN THE WINDOW AND THE INCIDENT. THE ALT ALERT MIGHT HAVE BEEN JARRED BY MY HAND BECAUSE OF THE MODERATE TURB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 174415: WE WERE ON THE GEETR APCH INTO BNA IN LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. I WAS SWITCHED TO APCH CTL AND CALLED OUT OF 9000 FOR 8000'. I SAW 8000' ON THE ALT ALERTER AND WE LEVELED AT 8000'. ATC SAID TO SLOW (THE PREVIOUS CTLR) BECAUSE THEY WERE PUTTING CPR Y IN FRONT OF US. I HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND WAS WONDERING IF HE COULD BE AT OUR ALT WHEN APCH GAVE US A 90 DEG TURN TO THE RIGHT. I THEN NOTICED WE WERE AT 7000' AND THE ALERTER WAS AT 7000'. ATC QUERIED US ABOUT OUR ALT. WE PRACTICED COMPANY NEW ALT AWARENESS PROGRAM TO THE FULLEST. I FEEL I WAS WATCHING THE ACFT OUT OF THE WINDOW AND SWITCHING MY MANUAL FROM THE ARR TO THE 20L APCH PLATE, DOING THE PRELIMINARY APCH CHKLIST. MAYBE THE F/O PUT 7000' MISTAKENLY IN THE ALT ALERTER AND I DIDN'T CATCH IT.

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.