Narrative:

I inadvertently leveled out at 14000 ft (15000 ft assigned), and was level for 10-12 mins when I realized my error, and climbed to 15000 ft immediately. ATC never commented or inquired about the premature level off, and no traffic conflict existed. When I discovered my mistake, I wondered why my first officer hadn't said anything about the error, I discovered that he was reading a newspaper! I'd had 2 or 3 discussions with him in the previous week about reading in-flight-particularly in sterile cockpit environment, also, I'd talked with him about helping out as a team effort to give our airline standard callouts, particularly while climbing/descending and while on approach. I was busy in climb and cruise, holding altitude with turbulence conditions, thinking about potential holding at sfo (our destination) and whether we'd make it into mod that evening (due to valley fog): as our jetstream does not have autoplt, I was pre-occupied with my flying and hadn't noticed that my first officer was reading. I've had a long heart-to-heart, man- to-man discussion with my first officer since then, and appealed to him to make a dedicated effort 'to join the team.' but I believe that, with 5+ yrs as a first officer after being a captain for a short time, he is burned out on flying and doesn't care to put forth a professional effort-particularly in that our company has entered into an anti-labor mode (it's contract renewal time, and with talk of considerable layoffs, cut-backs, base closures and pilot furloughs, everyone is distracted by their concerns). Contributing factors: we both were dogged tired, 4 to 5 12-hour days of bad (violent) WX for the past 5 weeks-especially with no autoplt. It was getting late in our work day. This was our 7TH leg, with holding and departure delays, neither of us had had a meal break. Both of us were not only tired, but badly fatigued due to hunger and de-hydration.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV.

Narrative: I INADVERTENTLY LEVELED OUT AT 14000 FT (15000 FT ASSIGNED), AND WAS LEVEL FOR 10-12 MINS WHEN I REALIZED MY ERROR, AND CLBED TO 15000 FT IMMEDIATELY. ATC NEVER COMMENTED OR INQUIRED ABOUT THE PREMATURE LEVEL OFF, AND NO TFC CONFLICT EXISTED. WHEN I DISCOVERED MY MISTAKE, I WONDERED WHY MY FO HADN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE ERROR, I DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS READING A NEWSPAPER! I'D HAD 2 OR 3 DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK ABOUT READING INFLT-PARTICULARLY IN STERILE COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT, ALSO, I'D TALKED WITH HIM ABOUT HELPING OUT AS A TEAM EFFORT TO GIVE OUR AIRLINE STANDARD CALLOUTS, PARTICULARLY WHILE CLBING/DSNDING AND WHILE ON APCH. I WAS BUSY IN CLB AND CRUISE, HOLDING ALT WITH TURB CONDITIONS, THINKING ABOUT POTENTIAL HOLDING AT SFO (OUR DEST) AND WHETHER WE'D MAKE IT INTO MOD THAT EVENING (DUE TO VALLEY FOG): AS OUR JETSTREAM DOES NOT HAVE AUTOPLT, I WAS PRE-OCCUPIED WITH MY FLYING AND HADN'T NOTICED THAT MY FO WAS READING. I'VE HAD A LONG HEART-TO-HEART, MAN- TO-MAN DISCUSSION WITH MY FO SINCE THEN, AND APPEALED TO HIM TO MAKE A DEDICATED EFFORT 'TO JOIN THE TEAM.' BUT I BELIEVE THAT, WITH 5+ YRS AS A FO AFTER BEING A CAPT FOR A SHORT TIME, HE IS BURNED OUT ON FLYING AND DOESN'T CARE TO PUT FORTH A PROFESSIONAL EFFORT-PARTICULARLY IN THAT OUR COMPANY HAS ENTERED INTO AN ANTI-LABOR MODE (IT'S CONTRACT RENEWAL TIME, AND WITH TALK OF CONSIDERABLE LAYOFFS, CUT-BACKS, BASE CLOSURES AND PLT FURLOUGHS, EVERYONE IS DISTRACTED BY THEIR CONCERNS). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WE BOTH WERE DOGGED TIRED, 4 TO 5 12-HR DAYS OF BAD (VIOLENT) WX FOR THE PAST 5 WEEKS-ESPECIALLY WITH NO AUTOPLT. IT WAS GETTING LATE IN OUR WORK DAY. THIS WAS OUR 7TH LEG, WITH HOLDING AND DEP DELAYS, NEITHER OF US HAD HAD A MEAL BREAK. BOTH OF US WERE NOT ONLY TIRED, BUT BADLY FATIGUED DUE TO HUNGER AND DE-HYDRATION.

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.