Flight crew of an air carrier medium large transport aircraft overshot their assigned approach altit...

Attributes
ACN	240803
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : csg
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sjc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : csg
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	240803
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	240982
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Day VFR, very short leg csg-atl (20 mins). Air crew had flown to csg the previous night -- had never been to csg before. Aircraft was an medium large transport basic with an autoplt (altitude hold was mco'ed inoperative). Copilot was flying and captain was working the radios. On takeoff, flight was cleared to 10000 ft. Departure control had us on a heading of 350 degrees. Passing about 8000 ft departure control instructed flight to fly present heading to intercept V241 to tiroe, then as filed and also a frequency change. The captain questioned the heading, knowing that the 339 degree course of V321 couldn't be intercepted on a heading of 350 degrees. Much confusion and discussion ensued, with the controller and each other which distracted both pilots from hearing the altitude warning horn. The command bars of this medium large transport's autoplt/flight director must be manually adjusted in pitch and do not command a level off as do 90 percent of the fleet. When warning horn sounded again the aircraft was approaching 11000 ft. The crew immediately descended to 10000 ft but was reminded by the controller when passing through 10400 ft. Upon arrival in atl the captain phoned the controller and a positive and productive conversation took place. Suggest that this possible change of routing be mentioned in the flight plan or that controllers be sure to advise air crews that instructions are a new clearance or that a new one is about to be issued.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR MLG ACFT OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED APCH ALT DUE TO A MISUNDERSTANDING OF NEW ROUTING CLRNC.

Narrative: DAY VFR, VERY SHORT LEG CSG-ATL (20 MINS). AIR CREW HAD FLOWN TO CSG THE PREVIOUS NIGHT -- HAD NEVER BEEN TO CSG BEFORE. ACFT WAS AN MLG BASIC WITH AN AUTOPLT (ALT HOLD WAS MCO'ED INOP). COPLT WAS FLYING AND CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. ON TKOF, FLT WAS CLRED TO 10000 FT. DEP CTL HAD US ON A HDG OF 350 DEGS. PASSING ABOUT 8000 FT DEP CTL INSTRUCTED FLT TO FLY PRESENT HDG TO INTERCEPT V241 TO TIROE, THEN AS FILED AND ALSO A FREQ CHANGE. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE HDG, KNOWING THAT THE 339 DEG COURSE OF V321 COULDN'T BE INTERCEPTED ON A HDG OF 350 DEGS. MUCH CONFUSION AND DISCUSSION ENSUED, WITH THE CTLR AND EACH OTHER WHICH DISTRACTED BOTH PLTS FROM HEARING THE ALT WARNING HORN. THE COMMAND BARS OF THIS MLG'S AUTOPLT/FLT DIRECTOR MUST BE MANUALLY ADJUSTED IN PITCH AND DO NOT COMMAND A LEVEL OFF AS DO 90 PERCENT OF THE FLEET. WHEN WARNING HORN SOUNDED AGAIN THE ACFT WAS APCHING 11000 FT. THE CREW IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO 10000 FT BUT WAS REMINDED BY THE CTLR WHEN PASSING THROUGH 10400 FT. UPON ARR IN ATL THE CAPT PHONED THE CTLR AND A POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE. SUGGEST THAT THIS POSSIBLE CHANGE OF ROUTING BE MENTIONED IN THE FLT PLAN OR THAT CTLRS BE SURE TO ADVISE AIR CREWS THAT INSTRUCTIONS ARE A NEW CLRNC OR THAT A NEW ONE IS ABOUT TO BE ISSUED.

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.

Flight crew of an air carrier medium large transport aircraft overshot their assigned approach altitude due to a misunderstanding of new routing clearance.