A large transport freighter crew overshot descent altitude in the early am.

Attributes
ACN	211036
Time
Date	199205
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5600 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phx tower : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : phx
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 84 flight time total : 9851 flight time type : 368
ASRS Report	211036
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending into phx at daybreak we descended to 5600 while cleared to 6000. I checked in with approach control at 33 DME with the airport in sight. Approach control issued a speed reduction (resulting in a high body angle) which caused me to lean forward to see out the window for the large transport traffic issued. The first officer (the PF) spent too much time looking out and descended through 6000 MSL. When the altitude alert sounded, I looked at the altimeter and the alert altitude selected and said '6000...return to 6000.' during the correction, we descended through 5600.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LGT FREIGHTER CREW OVERSHOT DSCNT ALT IN THE EARLY AM.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO PHX AT DAYBREAK WE DSNDED TO 5600 WHILE CLRED TO 6000. I CHKED IN WITH APCH CTL AT 33 DME WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH CTL ISSUED A SPD REDUCTION (RESULTING IN A HIGH BODY ANGLE) WHICH CAUSED ME TO LEAN FORWARD TO SEE OUT THE WINDOW FOR THE LGT TFC ISSUED. THE FO (THE PF) SPENT TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING OUT AND DSNDED THROUGH 6000 MSL. WHEN THE ALT ALERT SOUNDED, I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND THE ALERT ALT SELECTED AND SAID '6000...RETURN TO 6000.' DURING THE CORRECTION, WE DSNDED THROUGH 5600.

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.