Altitude bust. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	266801
Time
Date	199403
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk airport : teb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3450
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : n90
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	266801
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 290
ASRS Report	266974
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While repositioning an aircraft from frg to teb, I was flying at 3000 ft MSL between kennedy and colts neck vors when I was told from ATC that there was traffic at 12 O'clock and a mi. I looked outside to find the traffic. When I went inside the cockpit I was at 3200 ft MSL. We then forced the nose over to maintain 3000 ft MSL. The problem arose because I panicked and looked outside to avoid the traffic instead of just continuing to fly the airplane. I should have maintained my altitude and looked for traffic with the copilot instead of panicking at the close range of traffic. This could have been avoided if the one pilot who was flying just continued to fly the airplane. Supplemental information from acn 266974: looked at altitude and was 450 ft too high. I pushed nose of aircraft down to correct altitude. There was moderate turbulence or worse and wind shear. We were hand flying. Autoplt would not hold altitude and heading.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT BUST.

Narrative: WHILE REPOSITIONING AN ACFT FROM FRG TO TEB, I WAS FLYING AT 3000 FT MSL BTWN KENNEDY AND COLTS NECK VORS WHEN I WAS TOLD FROM ATC THAT THERE WAS TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND A MI. I LOOKED OUTSIDE TO FIND THE TFC. WHEN I WENT INSIDE THE COCKPIT I WAS AT 3200 FT MSL. WE THEN FORCED THE NOSE OVER TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT MSL. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE I PANICKED AND LOOKED OUTSIDE TO AVOID THE TFC INSTEAD OF JUST CONTINUING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. I SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED MY ALT AND LOOKED FOR TFC WITH THE COPLT INSTEAD OF PANICKING AT THE CLOSE RANGE OF TFC. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE ONE PLT WHO WAS FLYING JUST CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 266974: LOOKED AT ALT AND WAS 450 FT TOO HIGH. I PUSHED NOSE OF ACFT DOWN TO CORRECT ALT. THERE WAS MODERATE TURB OR WORSE AND WIND SHEAR. WE WERE HAND FLYING. AUTOPLT WOULD NOT HOLD ALT AND HDG.

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.