DC9-30 flight crew overshot their crossing altitude when the crew concept falls apart. The first off...

Attributes
ACN	371508
Time
Date	199706
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fgt
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
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 : 12380 flight time type : 3999
ASRS Report	371508
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7400 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	371704
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The first officer was the PF on flight from msn to msp. We normally are cleared to 11000 ft at banni intersection, but today we were given 12000 ft. I was working a passenger problem with the lead flight attendant and said '2 to go' at 14000 ft and '1 to go' at 13000 ft. I was then distracted by the passenger problem. I noticed the altitude deviation and the first officer immediately corrected back to 12000 ft. The cause of this deviation was a crew coordination problem. The first officer is a retired B52 military commander and instructor pilot. He still thinks he is the 'commander.' he has a hard time being an first officer and not the captain. I told him to fly the aircraft and talk to ATC while I handled the passenger problem. He wouldn't stay out of it (the passenger problem). I had been flying with him all month and before our first flight of this pattern, I went over some things that I wanted him to stop doing. This discussion apparently pissed him off and messed up his concentration. He is older than I am and I don't think he respects me much. He is always so busy trying to do 'my job' as captain that he forgets the basic things. Fly the airplane. Supplemental information from acn 371704: I leveled off at 11000 ft because this was the usual leveloff altitude on the STAR. We got a TCASII TA which indicated aircraft at same altitude. I immediately noticed I leveled off at the wrong altitude, and initiated a climb to 12000 ft. At 11500 ft we got an RA which confirmed the climb. Center also called to confirm our altitude but by then, I had corrected the mistake by leveling off at 12000 ft. The traffic passed 1000 ft below. The basic cause of the error was the habit of leveling at 11000 ft and not xchking the actual cleared altitude of 12000 ft. Altitude warning and alert system worked, and only a quick response to the TCASII TA prevented a more serious error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-30 FLC OVERSHOT THEIR XING ALT WHEN THE CREW CONCEPT FALLS APART. THE FO WAS PF BUT WAS TOO INVOLVED WITH THE CAPT'S PROB OF SOLVING A PAX PROB. ALT CALLOUTS WERE MADE BY PIC AND ALT ALERT SET.

Narrative: THE FO WAS THE PF ON FLT FROM MSN TO MSP. WE NORMALLY ARE CLRED TO 11000 FT AT BANNI INTXN, BUT TODAY WE WERE GIVEN 12000 FT. I WAS WORKING A PAX PROB WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND SAID '2 TO GO' AT 14000 FT AND '1 TO GO' AT 13000 FT. I WAS THEN DISTRACTED BY THE PAX PROB. I NOTICED THE ALTDEV AND THE FO IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BACK TO 12000 FT. THE CAUSE OF THIS DEV WAS A CREW COORD PROB. THE FO IS A RETIRED B52 MIL COMMANDER AND INSTRUCTOR PLT. HE STILL THINKS HE IS THE 'COMMANDER.' HE HAS A HARD TIME BEING AN FO AND NOT THE CAPT. I TOLD HIM TO FLY THE ACFT AND TALK TO ATC WHILE I HANDLED THE PAX PROB. HE WOULDN'T STAY OUT OF IT (THE PAX PROB). I HAD BEEN FLYING WITH HIM ALL MONTH AND BEFORE OUR FIRST FLT OF THIS PATTERN, I WENT OVER SOME THINGS THAT I WANTED HIM TO STOP DOING. THIS DISCUSSION APPARENTLY PISSED HIM OFF AND MESSED UP HIS CONCENTRATION. HE IS OLDER THAN I AM AND I DON'T THINK HE RESPECTS ME MUCH. HE IS ALWAYS SO BUSY TRYING TO DO 'MY JOB' AS CAPT THAT HE FORGETS THE BASIC THINGS. FLY THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371704: I LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT BECAUSE THIS WAS THE USUAL LEVELOFF ALT ON THE STAR. WE GOT A TCASII TA WHICH INDICATED ACFT AT SAME ALT. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED I LEVELED OFF AT THE WRONG ALT, AND INITIATED A CLB TO 12000 FT. AT 11500 FT WE GOT AN RA WHICH CONFIRMED THE CLB. CTR ALSO CALLED TO CONFIRM OUR ALT BUT BY THEN, I HAD CORRECTED THE MISTAKE BY LEVELING OFF AT 12000 FT. THE TFC PASSED 1000 FT BELOW. THE BASIC CAUSE OF THE ERROR WAS THE HABIT OF LEVELING AT 11000 FT AND NOT XCHKING THE ACTUAL CLRED ALT OF 12000 FT. ALT WARNING AND ALERT SYS WORKED, AND ONLY A QUICK RESPONSE TO THE TCASII TA PREVENTED A MORE SERIOUS ERROR.

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.

DC9-30 flight crew overshot their crossing altitude when the crew concept falls apart. The first officer was PF but was too involved with the captain's problem of solving a passenger problem. Altitude callouts were made by PIC and altitude alert set.