Flight crew of B727 on approach is assigned 4000 ft. Captain notices first officer is descending below assigned altitude and alerts him but first officer is not aggressive in his correction. Approach controller also alerts the flight crew. Loss of 300 ft before return to assigned.

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Attributes
ACN	392840
Time
Date	199801
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	392840
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	392687
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We had rolled out on base leg for the ILS runway 17L. We were talking to approach on 119.40 and were assigned 4000 ft. The first officer was flying and I noticed that he was starting to sink. I notified him to check his altitude when he was at about 3920 ft. He immediately pulled back on the yoke and applied a little more power however, we still continued to sink. By this time we were at 3850 ft I again told him to get back on 4000 ft. This time he was more aggressive with the power and yoke however, we didn't get it stopped and climbing again until almost 3700 ft. About this time approach notified us that we were assigned 4000 ft and to check our altitude. The approach continued without further incident and approach control made no further remarks about it. I think I probably should have been a little more aggressive with my first warning to the first officer about his altitude and he just needed to be more aggressive with the aircraft when he saw the sinking trend developing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 ON APCH IS ASSIGNED 4000 FT. CAPT NOTICES FO IS DSNDING BELOW ASSIGNED ALT AND ALERTS HIM BUT FO IS NOT AGGRESSIVE IN HIS CORRECTION. APCH CTLR ALSO ALERTS THE FLC. LOSS OF 300 FT BEFORE RETURN TO ASSIGNED.

Narrative: WE HAD ROLLED OUT ON BASE LEG FOR THE ILS RWY 17L. WE WERE TALKING TO APCH ON 119.40 AND WERE ASSIGNED 4000 FT. THE FO WAS FLYING AND I NOTICED THAT HE WAS STARTING TO SINK. I NOTIFIED HIM TO CHK HIS ALT WHEN HE WAS AT ABOUT 3920 FT. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND APPLIED A LITTLE MORE PWR HOWEVER, WE STILL CONTINUED TO SINK. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT 3850 FT I AGAIN TOLD HIM TO GET BACK ON 4000 FT. THIS TIME HE WAS MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE PWR AND YOKE HOWEVER, WE DIDN'T GET IT STOPPED AND CLBING AGAIN UNTIL ALMOST 3700 FT. ABOUT THIS TIME APCH NOTIFIED US THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED 4000 FT AND TO CHK OUR ALT. THE APCH CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND APCH CTL MADE NO FURTHER REMARKS ABOUT IT. I THINK I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH MY FIRST WARNING TO THE FO ABOUT HIS ALT AND HE JUST NEEDED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE ACFT WHEN HE SAW THE SINKING TREND DEVELOPING.

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.