Altitude excursion causes pilot deviation.

Attributes
ACN	293820
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwi
State Reference	MD
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
ASRS Report	293820
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a flight on jan/sat/95, to practice instrument approachs, I descended to an altitude 400 ft below my assigned altitude. During an en route portion of the flight from gai to hgr, the approach controller handling our aircraft called and asked if I was aware that I had descended to 400 ft below my assigned altitude. I then proceeded to climb to the assigned altitude. The rest of the flight was uneventful. I attribute the altitude excursion with being a bit rusty on my instrument scanning techniques and to the fact that there was light to moderate turbulence during the flight which aggravated altitude excursions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT EXCURSION CAUSES PLTDEV.

Narrative: DURING A FLT ON JAN/SAT/95, TO PRACTICE INST APCHS, I DSNDED TO AN ALT 400 FT BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT. DURING AN ENRTE PORTION OF THE FLT FROM GAI TO HGR, THE APCH CTLR HANDLING OUR ACFT CALLED AND ASKED IF I WAS AWARE THAT I HAD DSNDED TO 400 FT BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CLB TO THE ASSIGNED ALT. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I ATTRIBUTE THE ALT EXCURSION WITH BEING A BIT RUSTY ON MY INST SCANNING TECHNIQUES AND TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB DURING THE FLT WHICH AGGRAVATED ALT EXCURSIONS.

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.