Captain of an medium large transport overshot descent altitude due to ATC clearance changes. First officer caught the mistake and the captain returned at once to assigned altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	387940
Time
Date	199712
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tnv
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23500 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zhu
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	387940
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe 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:

Aircraft had a number of MEL items, including no autoplt and flap indicator that restr us to 300 KTS or .65 mach. Multiple vectors and altitude changes, finally a turn back to the STAR, descend to FL240, frequency change, checking in with new controller I noticed we were going through FL240, I told the captain (PF) 'FL240.' he pulled up and we leveled off. The captain was concerned about a crossing on the STAR because of our reduced airspeed and the controller keeping us high. No autoplt contributed to this, but the altitude alert system also is to blame. In the previous aircraft I have flown the alert aural chime would only come on if you deviated from the set altitude, on this aircraft the chime sounds approaching the altitude, then the same chime sounds deviating from the set altitude. The point I am making is that you get so used to the chime, that when you deviate you tend to ignore it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG OVERSHOT DSCNT ALT DUE TO ATC CLRNC CHANGES. FO CAUGHT THE MISTAKE AND THE CAPT RETURNED AT ONCE TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ACFT HAD A NUMBER OF MEL ITEMS, INCLUDING NO AUTOPLT AND FLAP INDICATOR THAT RESTR US TO 300 KTS OR .65 MACH. MULTIPLE VECTORS AND ALT CHANGES, FINALLY A TURN BACK TO THE STAR, DSND TO FL240, FREQ CHANGE, CHKING IN WITH NEW CTLR I NOTICED WE WERE GOING THROUGH FL240, I TOLD THE CAPT (PF) 'FL240.' HE PULLED UP AND WE LEVELED OFF. THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A XING ON THE STAR BECAUSE OF OUR REDUCED AIRSPD AND THE CTLR KEEPING US HIGH. NO AUTOPLT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS, BUT THE ALT ALERT SYS ALSO IS TO BLAME. IN THE PREVIOUS ACFT I HAVE FLOWN THE ALERT AURAL CHIME WOULD ONLY COME ON IF YOU DEVIATED FROM THE SET ALT, ON THIS ACFT THE CHIME SOUNDS APCHING THE ALT, THEN THE SAME CHIME SOUNDS DEVIATING FROM THE SET ALT. THE POINT I AM MAKING IS THAT YOU GET SO USED TO THE CHIME, THAT WHEN YOU DEVIATE YOU TEND TO IGNORE IT.

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.