Inter island flight flies at wrong altitude as set in altitude window by first officer, the PNF.

Attributes
ACN	351330
Time
Date	199610
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : koa
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other ground : preflight
Route In Use	enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	351330
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	351594
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During preflight preparation, a curious passenger approached lead flight attendant requesting to ride as observer. We said this was unavailable, but invited him to enter the cockpit while we were on the ground. He was a private pilot and had many questions that consumed nearly all of our between flight ground time. The first officer joined in the conversation and was consequently rushed obtaining clearance and performing pre takeoff cockpit preparation. The wrong altitude was set in the altitude warning window (FL230 instead of FL220). After cruising at FL230 for en route segment ATC cleared us for descent and asked us our altitude at which time both myself and the first officer noticed we were at the wrong altitude and I started descent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTER ISLAND FLT FLIES AT WRONG ALT AS SET IN ALT WINDOW BY FO, THE PNF.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PREPARATION, A CURIOUS PAX APCHED LEAD FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTING TO RIDE AS OBSERVER. WE SAID THIS WAS UNAVAILABLE, BUT INVITED HIM TO ENTER THE COCKPIT WHILE WE WERE ON THE GND. HE WAS A PVT PLT AND HAD MANY QUESTIONS THAT CONSUMED NEARLY ALL OF OUR BTWN FLT GND TIME. THE FO JOINED IN THE CONVERSATION AND WAS CONSEQUENTLY RUSHED OBTAINING CLRNC AND PERFORMING PRE TKOF COCKPIT PREPARATION. THE WRONG ALT WAS SET IN THE ALT WARNING WINDOW (FL230 INSTEAD OF FL220). AFTER CRUISING AT FL230 FOR ENRTE SEGMENT ATC CLRED US FOR DSCNT AND ASKED US OUR ALT AT WHICH TIME BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO NOTICED WE WERE AT THE WRONG ALT AND I STARTED DSCNT.

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.