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Flight crew of a beech, BE02, model 1900 airliner, overshot altitude on descent due to altitude alerter problem. The flight crew was correcting back as ATC intervened to remind them of their assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 372270 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : crg airport : jax |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6700 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : jax |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 3100 |
| ASRS Report | 372270 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After departing palm beach international airport, the altitude alerter began sounding sporadically in addition to the normal 1000 ft to go alert. This happened continuously throughout the flight during climb, en route phase and descent. As we approached jax I made the '1000 ft to go' callout as we descended through 8000 ft for our assigned altitude of 7000 ft. I also gave communication #1 to my first officer who was the PF as I went to communication #2 to get the new ATIS. As I came back to communication #1, I noticed my first officer had slowed his rate of descent as he approached 7000 ft so I gave him the current ATIS while the altitude alerter continued its erratic chiming. Also, about this time, I was pointing out jax in the distance as my first officer did not yet see the airport. I then realized he had descended through 6800 ft and notified him of this. He started his climb back to our assigned altitude at 6700 ft. ATC at that point reiterated our assigned altitude and pointed out traffic at our 10 O'clock position and 1000 ft below us which we confirmed we already had on TCASII and visually. Needless to say the altitude alerter was written up as inoperative as soon as we landed. Our descent 300 ft below our assigned altitude was basically attributable to the fact that after 1 hour 10 mins of listening to the altitude alerter chime incessantly, we became disengaged from its usefulness as a warning tool. In the future, if this happens with the altitude alerter, I will definitely wait until level at the assigned altitude before getting ATIS, pointing out airports, etc.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A BEECH, BE02, MODEL 1900 AIRLINER, OVERSHOT ALT ON DSCNT DUE TO ALT ALERTER PROB. THE FLC WAS CORRECTING BACK AS ATC INTERVENED TO REMIND THEM OF THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING PALM BEACH INTL ARPT, THE ALT ALERTER BEGAN SOUNDING SPORADICALLY IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL 1000 FT TO GO ALERT. THIS HAPPENED CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE FLT DURING CLB, ENRTE PHASE AND DSCNT. AS WE APCHED JAX I MADE THE '1000 FT TO GO' CALLOUT AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 8000 FT FOR OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT. I ALSO GAVE COM #1 TO MY FO WHO WAS THE PF AS I WENT TO COM #2 TO GET THE NEW ATIS. AS I CAME BACK TO COM #1, I NOTICED MY FO HAD SLOWED HIS RATE OF DSCNT AS HE APCHED 7000 FT SO I GAVE HIM THE CURRENT ATIS WHILE THE ALT ALERTER CONTINUED ITS ERRATIC CHIMING. ALSO, ABOUT THIS TIME, I WAS POINTING OUT JAX IN THE DISTANCE AS MY FO DID NOT YET SEE THE ARPT. I THEN REALIZED HE HAD DSNDED THROUGH 6800 FT AND NOTIFIED HIM OF THIS. HE STARTED HIS CLB BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT AT 6700 FT. ATC AT THAT POINT REITERATED OUR ASSIGNED ALT AND POINTED OUT TFC AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 1000 FT BELOW US WHICH WE CONFIRMED WE ALREADY HAD ON TCASII AND VISUALLY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE ALT ALERTER WAS WRITTEN UP AS INOP AS SOON AS WE LANDED. OUR DSCNT 300 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS BASICALLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FACT THAT AFTER 1 HR 10 MINS OF LISTENING TO THE ALT ALERTER CHIME INCESSANTLY, WE BECAME DISENGAGED FROM ITS USEFULNESS AS A WARNING TOOL. IN THE FUTURE, IF THIS HAPPENS WITH THE ALT ALERTER, I WILL DEFINITELY WAIT UNTIL LEVEL AT THE ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE GETTING ATIS, POINTING OUT ARPTS, ETC.
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.