Altitude deviation altitude excursion.

Attributes
ACN	201189
Time
Date	199202
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : psb
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	201189
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 other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were originally scheduled to depart syr at ah:35 pm EST. Operations phoned the hotel to inform us the flight would be cancelled due to a maintenance problem with the inbound equipment. We were set up to ferry the aircraft at ba:00 pm EST, after repairs were scheduled to be completed. After conferring with maintenance we further delayed our estimated departure time until back course:15 pm EST. The ferry flight departed syr at 00:ae pm EST. It was the first officer's leg. We leveled at an intermediate cruise altitude of FL330 in the vicinity of psb VOR. Center called and reported 'crossing traffic (approximately) 20 mi at FL350, expect FL350 clear traffic.' I acknowledged. The next moment I saw the first officer initiating a climb. I immediately said 'descend now' and pushed forward on the control yolk. The first officer replied 'we're cleared to FL350.' I repeated 'descend now', had the autoplt disconnected and pushed forward on the controls. The aircraft climbed approximately 500 ft before returning to level flight at FL330 a few seconds later. Once the aircraft was reestablished in level flight and the autoplt reengaged I noticed that the first officer had reset the altitude alert device to 35000 ft. It was returned to its proper setting. We discussed the altitude deviation and I firmly believe that the first officer heard (thought he heard) a clearance to FL350. I re- emphasized the importance of orally reading back all flight path changes to the other crew member before they are initiated. Contributing to this situation I believe was fatigue from a day of lengthy delays and from boredom, sitting around with an undetermined delay. From a technical point of view we may not have been on duty (sitting in a hotel room, being updated hourly from operations), however, we departed approximately 8 hours after our scheduled departure well off the diurnal cycle we had set by arising early in anticipation of an early departure the subsequent day. No mention of the altitude deviation was made by ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: WE WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO DEPART SYR AT AH:35 PM EST. OPERATIONS PHONED THE HOTEL TO INFORM US THE FLT WOULD BE CANCELLED DUE TO A MAINT PROBLEM WITH THE INBOUND EQUIP. WE WERE SET UP TO FERRY THE ACFT AT BA:00 PM EST, AFTER REPAIRS WERE SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED. AFTER CONFERRING WITH MAINT WE FURTHER DELAYED OUR ESTIMATED DEP TIME UNTIL BC:15 PM EST. THE FERRY FLT DEPARTED SYR AT 00:AE PM EST. IT WAS THE FO'S LEG. WE LEVELED AT AN INTERMEDIATE CRUISE ALT OF FL330 IN THE VICINITY OF PSB VOR. CTR CALLED AND RPTED 'XING TFC (APPROX) 20 MI AT FL350, EXPECT FL350 CLR TFC.' I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE NEXT MOMENT I SAW THE FO INITIATING A CLB. I IMMEDIATELY SAID 'DSND NOW' AND PUSHED FORWARD ON THE CTL YOLK. THE FO REPLIED 'WE'RE CLRED TO FL350.' I REPEATED 'DSND NOW', HAD THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND PUSHED FORWARD ON THE CTLS. THE ACFT CLBED APPROX 500 FT BEFORE RETURNING TO LEVEL FLT AT FL330 A FEW SECONDS LATER. ONCE THE ACFT WAS REESTABLISHED IN LEVEL FLT AND THE AUTOPLT REENGAGED I NOTICED THAT THE FO HAD RESET THE ALT ALERT DEVICE TO 35000 FT. IT WAS RETURNED TO ITS PROPER SETTING. WE DISCUSSED THE ALTDEV AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE FO HEARD (THOUGHT HE HEARD) A CLRNC TO FL350. I RE- EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF ORALLY READING BACK ALL FLT PATH CHANGES TO THE OTHER CREW MEMBER BEFORE THEY ARE INITIATED. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SITUATION I BELIEVE WAS FATIGUE FROM A DAY OF LENGTHY DELAYS AND FROM BOREDOM, SITTING AROUND WITH AN UNDETERMINED DELAY. FROM A TECHNICAL POINT OF VIEW WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON DUTY (SITTING IN A HOTEL ROOM, BEING UPDATED HRLY FROM OPS), HOWEVER, WE DEPARTED APPROX 8 HRS AFTER OUR SCHEDULED DEP WELL OFF THE DIURNAL CYCLE WE HAD SET BY ARISING EARLY IN ANTICIPATION OF AN EARLY DEP THE SUBSEQUENT DAY. NO MENTION OF THE ALTDEV WAS MADE BY ATC.

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.