Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation overshot when approach controller amended clea...

Attributes
ACN	189495
Time
Date	199109
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ogg
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ogg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet 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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	189495
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7500
ASRS Report	188566
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were approaching maui from the southeast at 8000 ft and we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 2. We commenced a descent to 1500 ft pattern altitude and began a right turn to the airport. Another air carrier approaching from the wnw was given a turn to 070 degree heading, still under IFR handling. Due to our relative position and the fact that we had been cleared visually and they hadn't been it was clear that we were #1 to the airport. The controller then gave us a turn to 270 degree and maintain 6000 ft. Since we were already cleared visual and were already descending through 6000 ft and a turn to 270 degree would actually be a turn into the other traffic (even if there was lateral separation) I thought perhaps I had misunderstood or perhaps the clearance was meant for some other aircraft -- so, I said 'say again'. The controller again gave us the same clearance and said we were to follow the other aircraft. We started the turn and began looking for the traffic which we immediately saw. The reversal of sequence, heads out of the cockpit looking for the other traffic and rate of descent (VFR), we were now descending out of 5000 ft. (The other traffic was reported by the controller out of 9000 ft.) I said we had the traffic and asked to confirm cleared visual #2 behind the traffic. The controller's response was an affirmative. Poor controller judgement and irrational sequencing made a normal approach into an altitude busting zoo.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEV OVERSHOT WHEN APCH CTLR AMENDED CLRNC FROM A VISUAL APCH TO A RADAR VECTOR WITH ALT ASSIGNMENT AS THE ACFT WAS XING THE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING MAUI FROM THE SE AT 8000 FT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 2. WE COMMENCED A DSCNT TO 1500 FT PATTERN ALT AND BEGAN A R TURN TO THE ARPT. ANOTHER AIR CARRIER APCHING FROM THE WNW WAS GIVEN A TURN TO 070 DEG HDG, STILL UNDER IFR HANDLING. DUE TO OUR RELATIVE POS AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED VISUALLY AND THEY HADN'T BEEN IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE #1 TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEG AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ALREADY CLRED VISUAL AND WERE ALREADY DSNDING THROUGH 6000 FT AND A TURN TO 270 DEG WOULD ACTUALLY BE A TURN INTO THE OTHER TFC (EVEN IF THERE WAS LATERAL SEPARATION) I THOUGHT PERHAPS I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD OR PERHAPS THE CLRNC WAS MEANT FOR SOME OTHER ACFT -- SO, I SAID 'SAY AGAIN'. THE CTLR AGAIN GAVE US THE SAME CLRNC AND SAID WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE OTHER ACFT. WE STARTED THE TURN AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE TFC WHICH WE IMMEDIATELY SAW. THE REVERSAL OF SEQUENCE, HEADS OUT OF THE COCKPIT LOOKING FOR THE OTHER TFC AND RATE OF DSCNT (VFR), WE WERE NOW DSNDING OUT OF 5000 FT. (THE OTHER TFC WAS RPTED BY THE CTLR OUT OF 9000 FT.) I SAID WE HAD THE TFC AND ASKED TO CONFIRM CLRED VISUAL #2 BEHIND THE TFC. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS AN AFFIRMATIVE. POOR CTLR JUDGEMENT AND IRRATIONAL SEQUENCING MADE A NORMAL APCH INTO AN ALT BUSTING ZOO.

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.

Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation overshot when approach controller amended clearance from a visual approach to a radar vector with altitude assignment as the aircraft was crossing the assigned altitude.