Commuter light transport altitude deviation excursion from clearance altitude.

Attributes
ACN	182778
Time
Date	199107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4700 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
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 : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	182778
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude 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:

While on a left base close in to final with parallel approachs in effect the last instructions we were given was maintain 5000'. We were then told to look out for oncoming traffic intercepting the approach to the right runway and traffic behind him at our 2 O'clock also on the approach to the right runway. It was my leg and I was concentrating on the traffic and forgetting our assigned altitude I was following the G/south down to prior intercepting the localizer. The next thing I heard was my copilot saying altitude. I checked and saw we were just going through 4700' and I leveled off at 4600'. We then both heard ATC say we were to maintain 5000', but we were now cleared for the approach. For a contributing factor we were both busy looking for the traffic pointed out to us by ATC and were not looking in the cockpit due to the fact that this was the typical ord approach that leaves you up high to intercept the localizer above the G/south and a close in base leg with parallel approachs to look out for. The real contributing factor was this was our last leg of a 7 leg day in and out of ord with no breaks to eat or relax a few mins with a total 14 hour duty day! Change these regulations for us commuter dogs before somebody gets killed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT.

Narrative: WHILE ON A LEFT BASE CLOSE IN TO FINAL WITH PARALLEL APCHS IN EFFECT THE LAST INSTRUCTIONS WE WERE GIVEN WAS MAINTAIN 5000'. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO LOOK OUT FOR ONCOMING TFC INTERCEPTING THE APCH TO THE RIGHT RWY AND TFC BEHIND HIM AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK ALSO ON THE APCH TO THE RIGHT RWY. IT WAS MY LEG AND I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE TFC AND FORGETTING OUR ASSIGNED ALT I WAS FOLLOWING THE G/S DOWN TO PRIOR INTERCEPTING THE LOC. THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS MY COPLT SAYING ALT. I CHKED AND SAW WE WERE JUST GOING THROUGH 4700' AND I LEVELED OFF AT 4600'. WE THEN BOTH HEARD ATC SAY WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 5000', BUT WE WERE NOW CLRED FOR THE APCH. FOR A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WE WERE BOTH BUSY LOOKING FOR THE TFC POINTED OUT TO US BY ATC AND WERE NOT LOOKING IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS WAS THE TYPICAL ORD APCH THAT LEAVES YOU UP HIGH TO INTERCEPT THE LOC ABOVE THE G/S AND A CLOSE IN BASE LEG WITH PARALLEL APCHS TO LOOK OUT FOR. THE REAL CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THIS WAS OUR LAST LEG OF A 7 LEG DAY IN AND OUT OF ORD WITH NO BREAKS TO EAT OR RELAX A FEW MINS WITH A TOTAL 14 HR DUTY DAY! CHANGE THESE REGS FOR US COMMUTER DOGS BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED.

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.