On descent air carrier encounters CAT. Passenger injured, descent below assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	225896
Time
Date	199211
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10700 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	225896
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Told by ZTL to cross shine intersection at 11000 ft MSL. While descending through FL190 we encountered severe air turbulence and reported it to ATC. Turbulence ceased at approximately 17500 ft MSL. Shortly thereafter a flight attendant came into the cockpit and announced a passenger was in the lavatory at the time of the turbulence encounter and may be injured. While the captain and flight attendant discussed the situation, the altitude alerter went off, signaling 12000 ft (1000 ft before altitude) while my altimeter read 12700 ft. The captain had forgot to reset his altimeter mainly because the preliminary landing checklist was omitted due to the turbulence encounter (normally accomplished at FL180). While the captain reset his altimeter and accomplished the preliminary landing checklist, I was switching navaids to fly the inbound course on the arrival when I noticed the altitude was 10900 ft and still descending. I arrested the descent at 10700 ft and leveled off at 11000 ft MSL. Although there was a great deal of commotion in the cockpit I believe a contributing factor was my recent lack of flying experience. I was furloughed for 1 yr and before that spent 2 yrs as a flight engineer. I believe I should have had the captain switch my NAVAID for me and concentrated on flying instead of doing everything for myself because my proficiency is not as good as I would like.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON DSCNT ACR ENCOUNTERS CAT. PAX INJURED, DSCNT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: TOLD BY ZTL TO CROSS SHINE INTXN AT 11000 FT MSL. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH FL190 WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE AIR TURB AND RPTED IT TO ATC. TURB CEASED AT APPROX 17500 FT MSL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ANNOUNCED A PAX WAS IN THE LAVATORY AT THE TIME OF THE TURB ENCOUNTER AND MAY BE INJURED. WHILE THE CAPT AND FLT ATTENDANT DISCUSSED THE SITUATION, THE ALT ALERTER WENT OFF, SIGNALING 12000 FT (1000 FT BEFORE ALT) WHILE MY ALTIMETER READ 12700 FT. THE CAPT HAD FORGOT TO RESET HIS ALTIMETER MAINLY BECAUSE THE PRELIMINARY LNDG CHKLIST WAS OMITTED DUE TO THE TURB ENCOUNTER (NORMALLY ACCOMPLISHED AT FL180). WHILE THE CAPT RESET HIS ALTIMETER AND ACCOMPLISHED THE PRELIMINARY LNDG CHKLIST, I WAS SWITCHING NAVAIDS TO FLY THE INBOUND COURSE ON THE ARR WHEN I NOTICED THE ALT WAS 10900 FT AND STILL DSNDING. I ARRESTED THE DSCNT AT 10700 FT AND LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT MSL. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF COMMOTION IN THE COCKPIT I BELIEVE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS MY RECENT LACK OF FLYING EXPERIENCE. I WAS FURLOUGHED FOR 1 YR AND BEFORE THAT SPENT 2 YRS AS A FE. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE CAPT SWITCH MY NAVAID FOR ME AND CONCENTRATED ON FLYING INSTEAD OF DOING EVERYTHING FOR MYSELF BECAUSE MY PROFICIENCY IS NOT AS GOOD AS I WOULD LIKE.

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.