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DC8 flight crew was descending to meet an altitude crossing restr. They inadvertently descended through the altitude, and while correcting back, ATC called to caution them about their altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 327670 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : psp airport : ont |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 13700 msl bound upper : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zla |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 2255 flight time type : 254 |
| ASRS Report | 327670 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During an en route descent into ont we were given a crossing restr of 14000 ft at bands intersection. In an effort to meet that restr I increased our rate of descent using a VS1 mode on the autoplt. By doing so, I inadvertently disabled the altitude capture feature of the autoplt. This was not noticed because I was retrieving an approach plate and the PNF was making a frequency change. When it was eventually noticed we had already broken 14000 ft. Before we were able to recover, the aircraft bottomed out at 13700 ft. While we made a timely recovery, ATC cautioned us about our altitude excursion. In hindsight I fault myself for not fulfilling my primary duty as a PF, and that is flying the aircraft. I also fault myself for poor EFIS mode usage. There are several other descent modes I could have used that would not have disabled altitude capture. Overall, poor cockpit management led to this excursion.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DC8 FLC WAS DSNDING TO MEET AN ALT XING RESTR. THEY INADVERTENTLY DSNDED THROUGH THE ALT, AND WHILE CORRECTING BACK, ATC CALLED TO CAUTION THEM ABOUT THEIR ALT.
Narrative: DURING AN ENRTE DSCNT INTO ONT WE WERE GIVEN A XING RESTR OF 14000 FT AT BANDS INTXN. IN AN EFFORT TO MEET THAT RESTR I INCREASED OUR RATE OF DSCNT USING A VS1 MODE ON THE AUTOPLT. BY DOING SO, I INADVERTENTLY DISABLED THE ALT CAPTURE FEATURE OF THE AUTOPLT. THIS WAS NOT NOTICED BECAUSE I WAS RETRIEVING AN APCH PLATE AND THE PNF WAS MAKING A FREQ CHANGE. WHEN IT WAS EVENTUALLY NOTICED WE HAD ALREADY BROKEN 14000 FT. BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO RECOVER, THE ACFT BOTTOMED OUT AT 13700 FT. WHILE WE MADE A TIMELY RECOVERY, ATC CAUTIONED US ABOUT OUR ALT EXCURSION. IN HINDSIGHT I FAULT MYSELF FOR NOT FULFILLING MY PRIMARY DUTY AS A PF, AND THAT IS FLYING THE ACFT. I ALSO FAULT MYSELF FOR POOR EFIS MODE USAGE. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER DSCNT MODES I COULD HAVE USED THAT WOULD NOT HAVE DISABLED ALT CAPTURE. OVERALL, POOR COCKPIT MGMNT LED TO THIS EXCURSION.
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.