A B747-400 first officer misreads their fans message for an altitude change and leaves FL310 for FL330 at too early a time. PIC then reads message and goes back to FL310.

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Attributes
ACN	403681
Time
Date	199805
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tower : pdk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1850
ASRS Report	403681
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On flight sfo to syd after several requests for higher, received fans message from oak to climb from FL310 to FL330, report reaching. Both the captain and I missed the first part of the message that said, 'at 035 degrees climb to FL330.' I printed the message and read it to the captain. Again I skipped the first part by mistake and read, '...cleared to FL330, report reaching.' as we were about to level at FL330 the captain asked to see the printout. He correctly read, 'at 035 degrees,' and immediately returned to FL310. I think fatigue was a major contributor as we were at the end of our shift at XA44 our time. Anticipation of what we wanted to hear aided the error, but if we had both read the printed message it is quite probable that the captain would have caught my error. I was much more tired than usual because the captain was very non communicative, so we sat in mostly silence for 6 hours on the back side of the clock. Plus my late afternoon nap was shortened because of WX holding up my commuter flight by 2 hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 FO MISREADS THEIR FANS MESSAGE FOR AN ALT CHANGE AND LEAVES FL310 FOR FL330 AT TOO EARLY A TIME. PIC THEN READS MESSAGE AND GOES BACK TO FL310.

Narrative: ON FLT SFO TO SYD AFTER SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR HIGHER, RECEIVED FANS MESSAGE FROM OAK TO CLB FROM FL310 TO FL330, RPT REACHING. BOTH THE CAPT AND I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF THE MESSAGE THAT SAID, 'AT 035 DEGS CLB TO FL330.' I PRINTED THE MESSAGE AND READ IT TO THE CAPT. AGAIN I SKIPPED THE FIRST PART BY MISTAKE AND READ, '...CLRED TO FL330, RPT REACHING.' AS WE WERE ABOUT TO LEVEL AT FL330 THE CAPT ASKED TO SEE THE PRINTOUT. HE CORRECTLY READ, 'AT 035 DEGS,' AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO FL310. I THINK FATIGUE WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR AS WE WERE AT THE END OF OUR SHIFT AT XA44 OUR TIME. ANTICIPATION OF WHAT WE WANTED TO HEAR AIDED THE ERROR, BUT IF WE HAD BOTH READ THE PRINTED MESSAGE IT IS QUITE PROBABLE THAT THE CAPT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT MY ERROR. I WAS MUCH MORE TIRED THAN USUAL BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS VERY NON COMMUNICATIVE, SO WE SAT IN MOSTLY SILENCE FOR 6 HRS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK. PLUS MY LATE AFTERNOON NAP WAS SHORTENED BECAUSE OF WX HOLDING UP MY COMMUTER FLT BY 2 HRS.

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.