Altitude bust. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	174463
Time
Date	199104
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : har airport : cxy
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5600 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : cxy
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	174463
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Inbound to mdt from dca, IFR advised to hold south of har VOR left or right turns, due to thunderstorm over airport moving southeast. In VFR conditions at 6000', broken clouds, large areas of scattered clouds above 10000', could see airport environment, center city harrisburg 5 mi north of airport. Decided to cancel IFR and proceed VFR. First officer told to tell ATC, cancel IFR. Expecting an immediate reply from ATC, I let altitude slowly start down out of 6000'. ATC did not respond immediately. Took a second call before they acknowledged cancellation of IFR flight plan. By this time we were down to 5600'. In between the 2 calls is when I realized that I was at 5600', so I started to climb back up to 6000'. ATC acknowledged cancellation when I was at 5800'. Then we started back down again. Also, there was IFR traffic at 5000' westbound under us that we had in sight. We did not start descent until we were clear of that traffic and headed eastbound (actually, sebnd). Cause: trying to avoid holding delay, trying to find westbound aircraft visually and not waiting for ATC to acknowledge cancellation before leaving IFR assigned altitude. Just a stupid mistake caused by being in a hurry, trying to stay on schedule. It wasn't worth all the aggravation it ended up causing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT BUST.

Narrative: INBND TO MDT FROM DCA, IFR ADVISED TO HOLD S OF HAR VOR LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS, DUE TO TSTM OVER ARPT MOVING SE. IN VFR CONDITIONS AT 6000', BROKEN CLOUDS, LARGE AREAS OF SCATTERED CLOUDS ABOVE 10000', COULD SEE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, CENTER CITY HARRISBURG 5 MI N OF ARPT. DECIDED TO CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED VFR. F/O TOLD TO TELL ATC, CANCEL IFR. EXPECTING AN IMMEDIATE REPLY FROM ATC, I LET ALT SLOWLY START DOWN OUT OF 6000'. ATC DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY. TOOK A SECOND CALL BEFORE THEY ACKNOWLEDGED CANCELLATION OF IFR FLT PLAN. BY THIS TIME WE WERE DOWN TO 5600'. IN BTWN THE 2 CALLS IS WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS AT 5600', SO I STARTED TO CLB BACK UP TO 6000'. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED CANCELLATION WHEN I WAS AT 5800'. THEN WE STARTED BACK DOWN AGAIN. ALSO, THERE WAS IFR TFC AT 5000' WBND UNDER US THAT WE HAD IN SIGHT. WE DID NOT START DSNT UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THAT TFC AND HEADED EBND (ACTUALLY, SEBND). CAUSE: TRYING TO AVOID HOLDING DELAY, TRYING TO FIND WBND ACFT VISUALLY AND NOT WAITING FOR ATC TO ACKNOWLEDGE CANCELLATION BEFORE LEAVING IFR ASSIGNED ALT. JUST A STUPID MISTAKE CAUSED BY BEING IN A HURRY, TRYING TO STAY ON SCHEDULE. IT WASN'T WORTH ALL THE AGGRAVATION IT ENDED UP CAUSING.

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.