Narrative:

Approaching clt, airport was busy. Approach control had changed arrival runway a couple of different times between runway 36L and runway 36R. We were cleared to descend to 8000 ft. In the descent, first officer and I were discussing which runway they had last told us to expect. I thought it was runway 36R, he thought runway 36L, and what the appropriate localizer frequency was. I looked over at my manual for the frequency, only to find the wrong page was displayed. As I flipped over for the proper approach plate, the altitude alerter went off. I stopped the descent by 7600 ft and immediately climbed back to 8000 ft. Approach called as I began the climb. I do not believe this caused any problem. Our company procedure is to have a formal transfer of flying the aircraft any time 1 pilot is looking away, as I was. I obviously neglected to do this, as I only expected to look away for a second. First officer was looking at his approach plates, too. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies a 'nice little airplane, the F-28.' it has an early style autoplt that has no altitude capture, but so what, as the reporter was hand flying the aircraft. 'I screwed up hard, should have handed him the aircraft' per air carrier SOP. Approach control was not upset. Clt is bad about assigning runways -- changing them several times is not uncommon. The reporter has not heard from the FAA on this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON DSCNT.

Narrative: APCHING CLT, ARPT WAS BUSY. APCH CTL HAD CHANGED ARR RWY A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES BTWN RWY 36L AND RWY 36R. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 8000 FT. IN THE DSCNT, FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING WHICH RWY THEY HAD LAST TOLD US TO EXPECT. I THOUGHT IT WAS RWY 36R, HE THOUGHT RWY 36L, AND WHAT THE APPROPRIATE LOC FREQ WAS. I LOOKED OVER AT MY MANUAL FOR THE FREQ, ONLY TO FIND THE WRONG PAGE WAS DISPLAYED. AS I FLIPPED OVER FOR THE PROPER APCH PLATE, THE ALT ALERTER WENT OFF. I STOPPED THE DSCNT BY 7600 FT AND IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 8000 FT. APCH CALLED AS I BEGAN THE CLB. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS CAUSED ANY PROB. OUR COMPANY PROC IS TO HAVE A FORMAL TRANSFER OF FLYING THE ACFT ANY TIME 1 PLT IS LOOKING AWAY, AS I WAS. I OBVIOUSLY NEGLECTED TO DO THIS, AS I ONLY EXPECTED TO LOOK AWAY FOR A SECOND. FO WAS LOOKING AT HIS APCH PLATES, TOO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES A 'NICE LITTLE AIRPLANE, THE F-28.' IT HAS AN EARLY STYLE AUTOPLT THAT HAS NO ALT CAPTURE, BUT SO WHAT, AS THE RPTR WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. 'I SCREWED UP HARD, SHOULD HAVE HANDED HIM THE ACFT' PER ACR SOP. APCH CTL WAS NOT UPSET. CLT IS BAD ABOUT ASSIGNING RWYS -- CHANGING THEM SEVERAL TIMES IS NOT UNCOMMON. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS INCIDENT.

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.