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An EMB120 flight crew climbs to FL240 when only cleared to FL180. They had forgotten to change their altitude alerter to the lower, newly cleared requested altitude. The aircraft, on autoplt, climbed in concert with the altitude selected
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 419369 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199811 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bqu |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v32 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 825 |
| ASRS Report | 419369 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 4550 flight time type : 1350 |
| ASRS Report | 419370 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After establishing radio contact with ZLC, the captain asked that I request direct fmg and that we be given FL180 instead of FL240 which we received in our initial clearance. Center stated that no shortcuts would be available and to stand by for FL180. Shortly thereafter, center cleared us to FL180. At the same time I was responding to center, we encountered light to moderate turbulence and the captain told me to call the flight attendant and have her be seated. Because of this distraction the captain did not set the altitude alerter and I did not confirm that it had been changed from FL240 to FL180. At approximately FL195, center called and asked us to state to which altitude we had been cleared. The captain said 'FL240.' I confirmed by looking at the altitude alerter and responded 'FL240.' this, center replied 'roger.' because center had inquired as to our altitude, both the captain and I retraced the events of the last several mins and both realized what we had done. By the time we had sorted out these events, we were at FL240. Since center had stated 'roger' to our response of FL240, we remained at that altitude. Contributing factors to this deviation were: encountering turbulence just as our clearance was being changed, concern for and actions to assure the flight attendant's safety, reliance that what is in the altitude alerter is always correct, and visual response (most likely to be nice) from ATC which allowed us to continue the deviation. Supplemental information from acn 419370: contributing factors: radio traffic on other frequencys we are required to monitor, ie, company.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB120 FLC CLBS TO FL240 WHEN ONLY CLRED TO FL180. THEY HAD FORGOTTEN TO CHANGE THEIR ALT ALERTER TO THE LOWER, NEWLY CLRED REQUESTED ALT. THE ACFT, ON AUTOPLT, CLBED IN CONCERT WITH THE ALT SELECTED
Narrative: AFTER ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH ZLC, THE CAPT ASKED THAT I REQUEST DIRECT FMG AND THAT WE BE GIVEN FL180 INSTEAD OF FL240 WHICH WE RECEIVED IN OUR INITIAL CLRNC. CTR STATED THAT NO SHORTCUTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND TO STAND BY FOR FL180. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CTR CLRED US TO FL180. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS RESPONDING TO CTR, WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB AND THE CAPT TOLD ME TO CALL THE FLT ATTENDANT AND HAVE HER BE SEATED. BECAUSE OF THIS DISTR THE CAPT DID NOT SET THE ALT ALERTER AND I DID NOT CONFIRM THAT IT HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM FL240 TO FL180. AT APPROX FL195, CTR CALLED AND ASKED US TO STATE TO WHICH ALT WE HAD BEEN CLRED. THE CAPT SAID 'FL240.' I CONFIRMED BY LOOKING AT THE ALT ALERTER AND RESPONDED 'FL240.' THIS, CTR REPLIED 'ROGER.' BECAUSE CTR HAD INQUIRED AS TO OUR ALT, BOTH THE CAPT AND I RETRACED THE EVENTS OF THE LAST SEVERAL MINS AND BOTH REALIZED WHAT WE HAD DONE. BY THE TIME WE HAD SORTED OUT THESE EVENTS, WE WERE AT FL240. SINCE CTR HAD STATED 'ROGER' TO OUR RESPONSE OF FL240, WE REMAINED AT THAT ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS DEV WERE: ENCOUNTERING TURB JUST AS OUR CLRNC WAS BEING CHANGED, CONCERN FOR AND ACTIONS TO ASSURE THE FLT ATTENDANT'S SAFETY, RELIANCE THAT WHAT IS IN THE ALT ALERTER IS ALWAYS CORRECT, AND VISUAL RESPONSE (MOST LIKELY TO BE NICE) FROM ATC WHICH ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE THE DEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 419370: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: RADIO TFC ON OTHER FREQS WE ARE REQUIRED TO MONITOR, IE, COMPANY.
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.