<< >> NASA ASRS Report 292764, December 1994

Altitude bust.

Attributes
ACN	292764
Time
Date	199412
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwz
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8700 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	292764
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	292440
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During the descent phase, we were given cross sweet intersection at and maintain 9000 ft. The first officer, who was flying, thought he heard 7000 ft, since that is what he depicted on the williamsport 1 (fqm.FQM1) arrival. As the first officer approached 9000 ft, it was clear he was not leveling off, so I immediately questioned his understanding of the ATC altitude assignment. He insisted 7000 ft, I immediately questioned our ATC last assigned altitude with ZNY and 9000 ft was confirmed. The aircraft descended below 9000 ft by 250 ft, plus or minus 50 ft. I informed ATC we would immediately climb back to 9000 ft but ATC offered 8000 ft so we could continue a normal descent profile. We continued to ewr airport our flight plan destination, without further incident. There was no traffic in our immediate vicinity during our 250 ft error as confirmed by our onboard TCASII. I'm not sure why we were given 9000 ft versus 7000 ft as depicted on the williamsport 1 arrival as there was no conflicting traffic in our area. Pilot fatigue definitely played a roll in this as we had been flying all night long from houston, tx, via las vegas. Supplemental information from acn 292440: I thought I heard 7000 ft and set 7000 ft in altitude window -- since that is what is depicted on the williamsport 1 (fqm.FQM1) arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT BUST.

Narrative: DURING THE DSCNT PHASE, WE WERE GIVEN CROSS SWEET INTXN AT AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT. THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, THOUGHT HE HEARD 7000 FT, SINCE THAT IS WHAT HE DEPICTED ON THE WILLIAMSPORT 1 (FQM.FQM1) ARR. AS THE FO APCHED 9000 FT, IT WAS CLR HE WAS NOT LEVELING OFF, SO I IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATC ALT ASSIGNMENT. HE INSISTED 7000 FT, I IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED OUR ATC LAST ASSIGNED ALT WITH ZNY AND 9000 FT WAS CONFIRMED. THE ACFT DSNDED BELOW 9000 FT BY 250 FT, PLUS OR MINUS 50 FT. I INFORMED ATC WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY CLB BACK TO 9000 FT BUT ATC OFFERED 8000 FT SO WE COULD CONTINUE A NORMAL DSCNT PROFILE. WE CONTINUED TO EWR ARPT OUR FLT PLAN DEST, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO TFC IN OUR IMMEDIATE VICINITY DURING OUR 250 FT ERROR AS CONFIRMED BY OUR ONBOARD TCASII. I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WERE GIVEN 9000 FT VERSUS 7000 FT AS DEPICTED ON THE WILLIAMSPORT 1 ARR AS THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC IN OUR AREA. PLT FATIGUE DEFINITELY PLAYED A ROLL IN THIS AS WE HAD BEEN FLYING ALL NIGHT LONG FROM HOUSTON, TX, VIA LAS VEGAS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 292440: I THOUGHT I HEARD 7000 FT AND SET 7000 FT IN ALT WINDOW -- SINCE THAT IS WHAT IS DEPICTED ON THE WILLIAMSPORT 1 (FQM.FQM1) ARR.

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.