Commuter light transport has altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	296199
Time
Date	199502
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gbn
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zab
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	296199
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At the time of this event, I was on my second day as a brand new baby captain in first leg. I let the copilot fly. I was not that familiar with the route and the copilot was trying to give me visual cues on the route from yuma to phoenix. He was pointing things out, when I looked back inside, our altitude was 500 ft high. I pushed the nose over and got back to our altitude as fast as I could, but not to have passenger heads hit the ceiling. Nothing was ever said by ZAB. A new captain has to be really on his toes because you can't assume that the copilot is experienced or that he is really paying attention to what he is doing, that's my job as the captain. Our airplanes are not easy to fly, we do not have autoplt, so this makes flying more fatiguing, a lot more to watch out for.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT HAS ALTDEV.

Narrative: AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT, I WAS ON MY SECOND DAY AS A BRAND NEW BABY CAPT IN FIRST LEG. I LET THE COPLT FLY. I WAS NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE AND THE COPLT WAS TRYING TO GIVE ME VISUAL CUES ON THE RTE FROM YUMA TO PHOENIX. HE WAS POINTING THINGS OUT, WHEN I LOOKED BACK INSIDE, OUR ALT WAS 500 FT HIGH. I PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND GOT BACK TO OUR ALT AS FAST AS I COULD, BUT NOT TO HAVE PAX HEADS HIT THE CEILING. NOTHING WAS EVER SAID BY ZAB. A NEW CAPT HAS TO BE REALLY ON HIS TOES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ASSUME THAT THE COPLT IS EXPERIENCED OR THAT HE IS REALLY PAYING ATTN TO WHAT HE IS DOING, THAT'S MY JOB AS THE CAPT. OUR AIRPLANES ARE NOT EASY TO FLY, WE DO NOT HAVE AUTOPLT, SO THIS MAKES FLYING MORE FATIGUING, A LOT MORE TO WATCH OUT FOR.

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.