<< >> NASA ASRS Report 330440, March 1996

Altitude deviation during descent. PF asked where dca was when they were approaching their cleared altitude. As reporter captain was showing him, the automatic altitude capture on the autoplt was not armed and the aircraft continued descent below the assigned altitude. Flight crew flew aircraft back to assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	330440
Time
Date	199603
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ott
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15500 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : dca
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000
ASRS Report	330440
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
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:

Cleared to descend to 16000 ft. Copilot flying. At approximately 16500 ft copilot asks where is dca (wash national). While pointing out airport, autoplt failed to capture altitude and aircraft descended to 15500 ft when we kicked autoplt off and climbed back to 16000 ft. Several seconds later approach cleared us to 12000 ft. Contributing factor may have been fatigue since this was 4TH day of a 4 day trip. First 2 nights of trip were late arrs on pacific time zone (eastern time zone crew). Then last night was a short 8 1/2 hour layover with an XX30 am eastern time pick-up at hotel. Sharp change in rhythm cycle. This was the next to last leg of trip in excellent VFR conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV DURING DSCNT. PF ASKED WHERE DCA WAS WHEN THEY WERE APCHING THEIR CLRED ALT. AS RPTR CAPT WAS SHOWING HIM, THE AUTOMATIC ALT CAPTURE ON THE AUTOPLT WAS NOT ARMED AND THE ACFT CONTINUED DSCNT BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALT. FLC FLEW ACFT BACK TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: CLRED TO DSND TO 16000 FT. COPLT FLYING. AT APPROX 16500 FT COPLT ASKS WHERE IS DCA (WASH NATL). WHILE POINTING OUT ARPT, AUTOPLT FAILED TO CAPTURE ALT AND ACFT DSNDED TO 15500 FT WHEN WE KICKED AUTOPLT OFF AND CLBED BACK TO 16000 FT. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER APCH CLRED US TO 12000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN FATIGUE SINCE THIS WAS 4TH DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP. FIRST 2 NIGHTS OF TRIP WERE LATE ARRS ON PACIFIC TIME ZONE (EASTERN TIME ZONE CREW). THEN LAST NIGHT WAS A SHORT 8 1/2 HR LAYOVER WITH AN XX30 AM EASTERN TIME PICK-UP AT HOTEL. SHARP CHANGE IN RHYTHM CYCLE. THIS WAS THE NEXT TO LAST LEG OF TRIP IN EXCELLENT VFR CONDITIONS.

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.