<< >> NASA ASRS Report 416710, October 1998

Flight crew on widebody transport at man, first officer, descended through assigned 4000 ft. First officer was PF and had set and armed 4000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	416710
Time
Date	199810
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : man airport : man
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : man
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	416710
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented 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:

First officer flying aircraft with autoplt coupled. Received clearance to descend and maintain 4000 ft. First officer set and armed 4000 ft and I concurred. First officer started the descent. As we approached the target altitude, I was distraction by checking the ILS identify. When I looked up I saw we were passing through 3700 ft and descending. Told first officer we were below assigned altitude. Looked at both flight mode annunciators and both showed altitude hold annunciated -- captain's pitch bar in altitude hold position, first officer's pitch bar indicating a fly up command. Approach control called and asked if we were at 4000 ft. I acknowledged 4000 ft. First officer flew aircraft back to 4000 ft. We did not get an altitude alert when we deviated from 4000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ON WDB AT MAN, FO, DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED 4000 FT. FO WAS PF AND HAD SET AND ARMED 4000 FT.

Narrative: FO FLYING ACFT WITH AUTOPLT COUPLED. RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. FO SET AND ARMED 4000 FT AND I CONCURRED. FO STARTED THE DSCNT. AS WE APCHED THE TARGET ALT, I WAS DISTR BY CHKING THE ILS IDENT. WHEN I LOOKED UP I SAW WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 3700 FT AND DSNDING. TOLD FO WE WERE BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. LOOKED AT BOTH FLT MODE ANNUNCIATORS AND BOTH SHOWED ALT HOLD ANNUNCIATED -- CAPT'S PITCH BAR IN ALT HOLD POS, FO'S PITCH BAR INDICATING A FLY UP COMMAND. APCH CTL CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE AT 4000 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED 4000 FT. FO FLEW ACFT BACK TO 4000 FT. WE DID NOT GET AN ALT ALERT WHEN WE DEVIATED FROM 4000 FT.

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.