Narrative:

It was my capts IOE. I was flying with check airman in the right seat. It was a very busy day with lots of legs and a lot of deviating around thunderstorms. This IOE trip was not going so well mainly due to personality conflicts between myself and the check airman. In fact, by the time we were on this approach we were basically not on speaking terms! We did, however, communicate an absolute min to fly the airplane. We were being vectored for a visual approach to runway 20L at bna and we were told to maintain 2000 ft. The autoplt was on. We were level at 2000 ft and about 13 mi northeast and the approach controller asked us to call the airport in sight for a visual. About 12 mi out we sighted the airport but did not report it because we were watching for other traffic inbound for 20R. About 10 mi out the altitude alerter sounded. I noticed our altitude was at 1700 ft and we were in a slow descent and the vertical speed function of the autoplt was engaged at 300 FPM down. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and climbed back to 2000 ft. The min altitude we reached was about 1620 ft. We were subsequently cleared for an uneventful visual approach. No comment was ever made by the approach controller about our altitude. I have no idea how the vertical speed became engaged. I do not recall touching the panel at all. Unfortunately I was the PF and I had the responsibility to fly the airplane. Too much of my concentration was focused outside at the traffic for 20R. Of course my inexperience in the airplane was a big factor. My overall scan had been slow but improving throughout the trip. If I had a more developed scan I probably would have caught the altitude problem much earlier. Finally, our personality conflict made our crew coordination pathetic. There was simply not enough communication going on in the cockpit. I can't help but wonder if we would have been on good terms that this deviation would ever have occurred. We could have taken all the effort we used in not communicating and paid attention to our job.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT ON IOE FLT HAS PERSONALITY PROBLEM WITH CHK PLT. NON COM IN COCKPIT. ALTDEV.

Narrative: IT WAS MY CAPTS IOE. I WAS FLYING WITH CHK AIRMAN IN THE R SEAT. IT WAS A VERY BUSY DAY WITH LOTS OF LEGS AND A LOT OF DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. THIS IOE TRIP WAS NOT GOING SO WELL MAINLY DUE TO PERSONALITY CONFLICTS BTWN MYSELF AND THE CHK AIRMAN. IN FACT, BY THE TIME WE WERE ON THIS APCH WE WERE BASICALLY NOT ON SPEAKING TERMS! WE DID, HOWEVER, COMMUNICATE AN ABSOLUTE MIN TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20L AT BNA AND WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT. THE AUTOPLT WAS ON. WE WERE LEVEL AT 2000 FT AND ABOUT 13 MI NE AND THE APCH CTLR ASKED US TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT FOR A VISUAL. ABOUT 12 MI OUT WE SIGHTED THE ARPT BUT DID NOT RPT IT BECAUSE WE WERE WATCHING FOR OTHER TFC INBOUND FOR 20R. ABOUT 10 MI OUT THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED. I NOTICED OUR ALT WAS AT 1700 FT AND WE WERE IN A SLOW DSCNT AND THE VERT SPD FUNCTION OF THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AT 300 FPM DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CLBED BACK TO 2000 FT. THE MIN ALT WE REACHED WAS ABOUT 1620 FT. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH. NO COMMENT WAS EVER MADE BY THE APCH CTLR ABOUT OUR ALT. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE VERT SPD BECAME ENGAGED. I DO NOT RECALL TOUCHING THE PANEL AT ALL. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS THE PF AND I HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. TOO MUCH OF MY CONCENTRATION WAS FOCUSED OUTSIDE AT THE TFC FOR 20R. OF COURSE MY INEXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE WAS A BIG FACTOR. MY OVERALL SCAN HAD BEEN SLOW BUT IMPROVING THROUGHOUT THE TRIP. IF I HAD A MORE DEVELOPED SCAN I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ALT PROBLEM MUCH EARLIER. FINALLY, OUR PERSONALITY CONFLICT MADE OUR CREW COORD PATHETIC. THERE WAS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH COM GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON GOOD TERMS THAT THIS DEV WOULD EVER HAVE OCCURRED. WE COULD HAVE TAKEN ALL THE EFFORT WE USED IN NOT COMMUNICATING AND PAID ATTN TO OUR JOB.

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.