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First officer of a beech 1900 airliner descended from assigned cruise altitude causing a loss of standard separation with a saab SF34 below. The captain took over the aircraft and brought it back to assigned. ARTCC radar controller also intervened and confirmed the assigned altitude and that there had been a possible pilot deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 423364 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pqi |
| State Reference | ME |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12600 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j55 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | SF 340A |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 1600 |
| ASRS Report | 423364 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a flight from bos to pqi on dec/tue/98, after receiving the current WX at the destination I advised the first officer, the PF, to man the radios while I took care of the PNF duty of briefing the passenger. Upon returning to communication #1 and finishing my passenger brief on the PA, I immediately heard the altitude alerter go off as the first officer was apparently descending through the assigned altitude of 13000 ft. I immediately said 'altitude, pitch up' and grabbed the controls to initiate a climb correction. ATC then advised us of the assigned altitude of 13000 ft and I replied 'correcting.' no evasive action was taken by us or the other aircraft. The flight proceeded and landed uneventfully at the destination. Upon entering the terminal, I was then notified by ZBW that there was a possible pilot deviation. After discussing the situation with the first officer we decided the best course of action to ensure this from happening in the future is to do passenger briefs only during the cruise portion of flight when possible.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF A BEECH 1900 AIRLINER DSNDED FROM ASSIGNED CRUISE ALT CAUSING A LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION WITH A SAAB SF34 BELOW. THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE ACFT AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO ASSIGNED. ARTCC RADAR CTLR ALSO INTERVENED AND CONFIRMED THE ASSIGNED ALT AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A POSSIBLE PLTDEV.
Narrative: ON A FLT FROM BOS TO PQI ON DEC/TUE/98, AFTER RECEIVING THE CURRENT WX AT THE DEST I ADVISED THE FO, THE PF, TO MAN THE RADIOS WHILE I TOOK CARE OF THE PNF DUTY OF BRIEFING THE PAX. UPON RETURNING TO COM #1 AND FINISHING MY PAX BRIEF ON THE PA, I IMMEDIATELY HEARD THE ALT ALERTER GO OFF AS THE FO WAS APPARENTLY DSNDING THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 13000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY SAID 'ALT, PITCH UP' AND GRABBED THE CTLS TO INITIATE A CLB CORRECTION. ATC THEN ADVISED US OF THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 13000 FT AND I REPLIED 'CORRECTING.' NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY US OR THE OTHER ACFT. THE FLT PROCEEDED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT THE DEST. UPON ENTERING THE TERMINAL, I WAS THEN NOTIFIED BY ZBW THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SIT WITH THE FO WE DECIDED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION TO ENSURE THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE IS TO DO PAX BRIEFS ONLY DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF FLT WHEN POSSIBLE.
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.