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First officer of an medium large transport misunderstood new heading clearance for altitude change and descended until the ARTCC controller caught the mistake. The first officer had been distraction and reset the altitude alerter to the mistaken new altitude. In the mean time he did not turn to the newly assigned heading.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 427470 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : vla airport : mkc |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 23300 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zkc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 427470 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While being vectored for the vandalia arrival by ZKC, at FL240, we were given a heading of 230 degrees for direct to vla. The first officer (flying) misunderstood the heading of 230 degrees for an altitude of FL230. The flight attendant was also there retrieving breakfast trays during this time. While being distraction by the flight attendant, the first officer set the altitude alerter, without following proper procedure, and, without calling the altitude change, began a descent to FL230. The mistake was questioned by ATC at FL233. Then gave us a descent to FL230. Strict altitude alerter adherence was not followed by the first officer (each pilot pointing to the altitude alerter) when changed by the PNF.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF AN MLG MISUNDERSTOOD NEW HDG CLRNC FOR ALT CHANGE AND DSNDED UNTIL THE ARTCC CTLR CAUGHT THE MISTAKE. THE FO HAD BEEN DISTR AND RESET THE ALT ALERTER TO THE MISTAKEN NEW ALT. IN THE MEAN TIME HE DID NOT TURN TO THE NEWLY ASSIGNED HDG.
Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE VANDALIA ARR BY ZKC, AT FL240, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 230 DEGS FOR DIRECT TO VLA. THE FO (FLYING) MISUNDERSTOOD THE HDG OF 230 DEGS FOR AN ALT OF FL230. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS ALSO THERE RETRIEVING BREAKFAST TRAYS DURING THIS TIME. WHILE BEING DISTR BY THE FLT ATTENDANT, THE FO SET THE ALT ALERTER, WITHOUT FOLLOWING PROPER PROC, AND, WITHOUT CALLING THE ALT CHANGE, BEGAN A DSCNT TO FL230. THE MISTAKE WAS QUESTIONED BY ATC AT FL233. THEN GAVE US A DSCNT TO FL230. STRICT ALT ALERTER ADHERENCE WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY THE FO (EACH PLT POINTING TO THE ALT ALERTER) WHEN CHANGED BY THE PNF.
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.