Birth of an altitude bust.

Attributes
ACN	271717
Time
Date	199405
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Xingu EMB-121 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 4600
ASRS Report	271717
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	271718
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20400 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Passing over cvg, ind ARTCC issued a descent clearance from FL180 to 16000 msi. An additional clearance was interpretation by cockpit crew to descend to 13000 MSL, which was acknowledged by ind center. Amid the descent following this segment of flight, we were handed off to sdf approach for an uneventful approach and landing -- all regimes of flight appeared normal. After returning to cleveland, oh, (crew domicik) 2.5 hours later, we were informed by company dispatch to call ind ARTCC and speak with mr. X. We were then informed that our clearance limit was only 16000 and not 13000 as interpreted by crew. We were informed by mr. X that quality assurance was reviewing the tapes. Mr. X claimed there was a traffic conflict of approximately 3.5 mi separation , but emphasized it was not a serious event. We were never informed during the flight that there was a problem, nor did we feel that there was any abnormality during flight. I feel there were 4 items that contributed to our alleged error: I as captain only received a few hours of sleep the night before, possibly affecting attention to details. First officer may have been on communication #2 receiving ATIS or making company in-range call. Both pilots may have not verified altitude set in altitude alerter system. Our aircraft did not have a TCASII system installed, which would have alerted us of a possible traffic conflict. Supplemental information from acn 271718: I also remember needing to get the sdf ATIS around the cvg area due to our ground speed of 360 KTS. I also tried to reach our sdf operations after getting the ATIS. We were quite early due to the tailwinds and I was unable to reach them the first time. I tried again a little later and then 1 more time before getting them. It is quite possible that I was off the frequency during the time of the descent. I am almost sure that I was not on during a frequency change from 1 ind to another ind frequency. I believe this could have been a contributing factor to a double check of the altitude. Also, a TCASII would have warned us of the traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIRTH OF AN ALT BUST.

Narrative: PASSING OVER CVG, IND ARTCC ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC FROM FL180 TO 16000 MSI. AN ADDITIONAL CLRNC WAS INTERP BY COCKPIT CREW TO DSND TO 13000 MSL, WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY IND CTR. AMID THE DSCNT FOLLOWING THIS SEGMENT OF FLT, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SDF APCH FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG -- ALL REGIMES OF FLT APPEARED NORMAL. AFTER RETURNING TO CLEVELAND, OH, (CREW DOMICIK) 2.5 HRS LATER, WE WERE INFORMED BY COMPANY DISPATCH TO CALL IND ARTCC AND SPEAK WITH MR. X. WE WERE THEN INFORMED THAT OUR CLRNC LIMIT WAS ONLY 16000 AND NOT 13000 AS INTERPRETED BY CREW. WE WERE INFORMED BY MR. X THAT QUALITY ASSURANCE WAS REVIEWING THE TAPES. MR. X CLAIMED THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT OF APPROX 3.5 MI SEPARATION , BUT EMPHASIZED IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS EVENT. WE WERE NEVER INFORMED DURING THE FLT THAT THERE WAS A PROB, NOR DID WE FEEL THAT THERE WAS ANY ABNORMALITY DURING FLT. I FEEL THERE WERE 4 ITEMS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ALLEGED ERROR: I AS CAPT ONLY RECEIVED A FEW HRS OF SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE, POSSIBLY AFFECTING ATTN TO DETAILS. FO MAY HAVE BEEN ON COM #2 RECEIVING ATIS OR MAKING COMPANY IN-RANGE CALL. BOTH PLTS MAY HAVE NOT VERIFIED ALT SET IN ALT ALERTER SYS. OUR ACFT DID NOT HAVE A TCASII SYS INSTALLED, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED US OF A POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271718: I ALSO REMEMBER NEEDING TO GET THE SDF ATIS AROUND THE CVG AREA DUE TO OUR GND SPD OF 360 KTS. I ALSO TRIED TO REACH OUR SDF OPS AFTER GETTING THE ATIS. WE WERE QUITE EARLY DUE TO THE TAILWINDS AND I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THEM THE FIRST TIME. I TRIED AGAIN A LITTLE LATER AND THEN 1 MORE TIME BEFORE GETTING THEM. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT I WAS OFF THE FREQ DURING THE TIME OF THE DSCNT. I AM ALMOST SURE THAT I WAS NOT ON DURING A FREQ CHANGE FROM 1 IND TO ANOTHER IND FREQ. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO A DOUBLE CHK OF THE ALT. ALSO, A TCASII WOULD HAVE WARNED US OF THE TFC.

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.