B737-300 flight crew has altitude deviation on approach to land.

Attributes
ACN	338830
Time
Date	199606
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5600 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	338830
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
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:

Clt approach had cleared us to 6000 ft. About 16 mi from the airport we were on radar vectors for a visual to runway 18R. The first officer was hand flying the aircraft and I was looking outside for traffic and for the airport. Company altitude awareness procedures were being followed, but the copilot was looking for the airport and went 350 ft below his assigned altitude. A quick recovery followed back to our altitude. If the copilot was going to let his attention drift from flying to looking outside, he should have left the aircraft on autoplt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC HAS ALTDEV ON APCH TO LAND.

Narrative: CLT APCH HAD CLRED US TO 6000 FT. ABOUT 16 MI FROM THE ARPT WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 18R. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR TFC AND FOR THE ARPT. COMPANY ALT AWARENESS PROCS WERE BEING FOLLOWED, BUT THE COPLT WAS LOOKING FOR THE ARPT AND WENT 350 FT BELOW HIS ASSIGNED ALT. A QUICK RECOVERY FOLLOWED BACK TO OUR ALT. IF THE COPLT WAS GOING TO LET HIS ATTN DRIFT FROM FLYING TO LOOKING OUTSIDE, HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE ACFT ON AUTOPLT.

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.