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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of an medium large transport overshot assigned altitude on departure due to cabin attendant interruption. The flying first officer noticed his mistake and corrected back at once. ATC did not indicate that there was any conflict. The crew were disappointed that the cabin attendant had not waited for leveloff before confronting the crew with what he perceived as a problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 401389 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : huo |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny tower : pit |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zny |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 401389 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 401390 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| 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:
Just prior to leveling off at 16000 ft MSL (-300 ft) one of the flight attendants came into the cockpit and reported to me that he could smell smoke in the cabin. This distracted myself and the first officer at an inopportune time. This resulted in me diverting my attention from the first officer leveling off at 16000 ft and resulted in an altitude excursion of about +400 ft. There was no traffic conflict with any other aircraft and we returned to our assigned altitude of 16000 ft promptly. We concluded that the odor of smoke was coming from one of our passenger clothing who was seated in the last row of the aircraft just forward of where the flight attendant was seated. Maybe better training for flight attendants in smoke recognition and identify could be helpful in averting unnecessary disruptions to the cockpit crew. Smoke of any kind is very serious and should not be taken lightly but I believe if the flight attendant would have taken a little more time to determine the source of the odor this altitude excursion would not have happened. Maybe also restricting the access to the cockpit until level at cruise altitude might also prevent undue distractions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN MLG OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT ON DEP DUE TO CABIN ATTENDANT INTERRUPTION. THE FLYING FO NOTICED HIS MISTAKE AND CORRECTED BACK AT ONCE. ATC DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WAS ANY CONFLICT. THE CREW WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE CABIN ATTENDANT HAD NOT WAITED FOR LEVELOFF BEFORE CONFRONTING THE CREW WITH WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS A PROB.
Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO LEVELING OFF AT 16000 FT MSL (-300 FT) ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND RPTED TO ME THAT HE COULD SMELL SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THIS DISTRACTED MYSELF AND THE FO AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME. THIS RESULTED IN ME DIVERTING MY ATTN FROM THE FO LEVELING OFF AT 16000 FT AND RESULTED IN AN ALT EXCURSION OF ABOUT +400 FT. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT AND WE RETURNED TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 16000 FT PROMPTLY. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE ODOR OF SMOKE WAS COMING FROM ONE OF OUR PAX CLOTHING WHO WAS SEATED IN THE LAST ROW OF THE ACFT JUST FORWARD OF WHERE THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS SEATED. MAYBE BETTER TRAINING FOR FLT ATTENDANTS IN SMOKE RECOGNITION AND IDENT COULD BE HELPFUL IN AVERTING UNNECESSARY DISRUPTIONS TO THE COCKPIT CREW. SMOKE OF ANY KIND IS VERY SERIOUS AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY BUT I BELIEVE IF THE FLT ATTENDANT WOULD HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE MORE TIME TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR THIS ALT EXCURSION WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. MAYBE ALSO RESTRICTING THE ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT UNTIL LEVEL AT CRUISE ALT MIGHT ALSO PREVENT UNDUE DISTRACTIONS.
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.