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Flight crew of a DC9-31 overshot descent assigned altitude during arrival descent due to WX and the inadvertent disengagement of the autoplt. The rain hitting the windshield was so noisy that they probably did not hear the altitude alerter.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 406722 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : etx airport : phl |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : phl |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 406722 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2950 |
| ASRS Report | 406710 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Altitude deviation happened during descent into phl. Pilot workload and preoccupation with thunderstorm in flight path was contributing factor. Autoplt hold was inadvertently disarmed and aircraft descended through assigned altitude. Error became apparent as we rolled wings level to complete turn around thunderstorm. Altitude alert horn either didn't sound or was not heard due to radio chatter and heavy rain on windshield. We asked ATC for lower altitude to correct situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A DC9-31 OVERSHOT DSCNT ASSIGNED ALT DURING ARR DSCNT DUE TO WX AND THE INADVERTENT DISENGAGEMENT OF THE AUTOPLT. THE RAIN HITTING THE WINDSHIELD WAS SO NOISY THAT THEY PROBABLY DID NOT HEAR THE ALT ALERTER.
Narrative: ALTDEV HAPPENED DURING DSCNT INTO PHL. PLT WORKLOAD AND PREOCCUPATION WITH TSTM IN FLT PATH WAS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. AUTOPLT HOLD WAS INADVERTENTLY DISARMED AND ACFT DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT. ERROR BECAME APPARENT AS WE ROLLED WINGS LEVEL TO COMPLETE TURN AROUND TSTM. ALT ALERT HORN EITHER DIDN'T SOUND OR WAS NOT HEARD DUE TO RADIO CHATTER AND HVY RAIN ON WINDSHIELD. WE ASKED ATC FOR LOWER ALT TO CORRECT SIT.
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.