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Captain of a B727 overshot assigned altitude during climb due to sun glare in the crew's eyes could not see the altitude alerter warning light or hear its weak audio response. The aircraft was returned to assigned altitude as the ARTCC radar controller was inquiring about their altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 414214 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cvg |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 21800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute airway : zid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 414214 |
| Person 2 | |
| 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 : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 414210 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot 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:
Center cleared us to FL210. Passing FL190, I became distraction putting up shades for the morning sun and putting away my departure plates. When I looked up, we were passing FL217 and told the captain 'FL210.' he started to correct and said he thought we were cleared to FL230. Center asked us if we wanted FL230 and said we were showing FL218, but by this time we were almost back to FL210. There was no conflict with other traffic. In addition to the confusion on altitude by the captain and my distraction doing unnecessary tasks, we found out our altitude alert tone was virtually inaudible. We wrote up the alert tone. Also, the position of the altitude window on a block iv autoplt is not easy for the captain to see. Still, it was 90% air crew error, due to misunderstanding and distraction.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF A B727 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING CLB DUE TO SUN GLARE IN THE CREW'S EYES COULD NOT SEE THE ALT ALERTER WARNING LIGHT OR HEAR ITS WEAK AUDIO RESPONSE. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO ASSIGNED ALT AS THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS INQUIRING ABOUT THEIR ALT.
Narrative: CTR CLRED US TO FL210. PASSING FL190, I BECAME DISTR PUTTING UP SHADES FOR THE MORNING SUN AND PUTTING AWAY MY DEP PLATES. WHEN I LOOKED UP, WE WERE PASSING FL217 AND TOLD THE CAPT 'FL210.' HE STARTED TO CORRECT AND SAID HE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO FL230. CTR ASKED US IF WE WANTED FL230 AND SAID WE WERE SHOWING FL218, BUT BY THIS TIME WE WERE ALMOST BACK TO FL210. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. IN ADDITION TO THE CONFUSION ON ALT BY THE CAPT AND MY DISTR DOING UNNECESSARY TASKS, WE FOUND OUT OUR ALT ALERT TONE WAS VIRTUALLY INAUDIBLE. WE WROTE UP THE ALERT TONE. ALSO, THE POS OF THE ALT WINDOW ON A BLOCK IV AUTOPLT IS NOT EASY FOR THE CAPT TO SEE. STILL, IT WAS 90% AIR CREW ERROR, DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING AND DISTR.
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.