Narrative:

Air carrier flight abcd operated from iln to lax with a refueling stop in okc. This was my first trip of IOE as a DC9 first officer. On the leg from okc to lax, our flight received a late change in the STAR procedure to the pdz 3 arrival. The change in the arrival was received after we had begun our descent, which gave the flight crew little time to study the profile. This arrival of course consisted of numerous stepdowns, which I talked the check captain (PF) through. As we approached the pdz VOR, the arrival called for a stepdown to 12000 ft, followed shortly by a course change passing the pdz VOR. At this point, air carrier abcd descended through 12000 ft to approximately 11600-11700 ft for a period of less than 10 seconds total deviation from 12000 ft. After recovering to 12000 ft, the flight proceeded normally. The altitude deviation was caused by the PF being distraction from controling the aircraft flight path in order to verify/confirm the STAR as described by me, the PNF. While my description of the arrival was accurate and dictated in an organized and efficient manner, there is a natural reluctance for a check airman to blindly accept this information from a new first officer -- especially when the pilot has not had much time to prepare. My backgnd included approximately 3000 hours as a first officer in DC8, and A300's with many previous trips to lax. While I am not certain if the captain knew of my previous experience, this information was available to him. None of the above should have resulted in any deviation. In fact, it is certainly prudent to confirm and verify the instructions given by the PNF. Normally this would not cause enough of a distraction to interfere with aircraft control. However, in this particular case, pilot fatigue was the factor which allowed this deviation to occur. Both the captain and I had been up all night. First flying into ilm and outbound to lax. While the flight was legal in terms of a duty day and flight time limitations, I feel our cognitive ability was certainly reduced due to the circadian cycle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW HAD ALT OVERSHOOT.

Narrative: ACR FLT ABCD OPERATED FROM ILN TO LAX WITH A REFUELING STOP IN OKC. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP OF IOE AS A DC9 FO. ON THE LEG FROM OKC TO LAX, OUR FLT RECEIVED A LATE CHANGE IN THE STAR PROC TO THE PDZ 3 ARR. THE CHANGE IN THE ARR WAS RECEIVED AFTER WE HAD BEGUN OUR DSCNT, WHICH GAVE THE FLC LITTLE TIME TO STUDY THE PROFILE. THIS ARR OF COURSE CONSISTED OF NUMEROUS STEPDOWNS, WHICH I TALKED THE CHK CAPT (PF) THROUGH. AS WE APCHED THE PDZ VOR, THE ARR CALLED FOR A STEPDOWN TO 12000 FT, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A COURSE CHANGE PASSING THE PDZ VOR. AT THIS POINT, ACR ABCD DSNDED THROUGH 12000 FT TO APPROX 11600-11700 FT FOR A PERIOD OF LESS THAN 10 SECONDS TOTAL DEV FROM 12000 FT. AFTER RECOVERING TO 12000 FT, THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. THE ALTDEV WAS CAUSED BY THE PF BEING DISTR FROM CTLING THE ACFT FLT PATH IN ORDER TO VERIFY/CONFIRM THE STAR AS DESCRIBED BY ME, THE PNF. WHILE MY DESCRIPTION OF THE ARR WAS ACCURATE AND DICTATED IN AN ORGANIZED AND EFFICIENT MANNER, THERE IS A NATURAL RELUCTANCE FOR A CHK AIRMAN TO BLINDLY ACCEPT THIS INFO FROM A NEW FO -- ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PLT HAS NOT HAD MUCH TIME TO PREPARE. MY BACKGND INCLUDED APPROX 3000 HRS AS A FO IN DC8, AND A300'S WITH MANY PREVIOUS TRIPS TO LAX. WHILE I AM NOT CERTAIN IF THE CAPT KNEW OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, THIS INFO WAS AVAILABLE TO HIM. NONE OF THE ABOVE SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN ANY DEV. IN FACT, IT IS CERTAINLY PRUDENT TO CONFIRM AND VERIFY THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY THE PNF. NORMALLY THIS WOULD NOT CAUSE ENOUGH OF A DISTR TO INTERFERE WITH ACFT CTL. HOWEVER, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, PLT FATIGUE WAS THE FACTOR WHICH ALLOWED THIS DEV TO OCCUR. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD BEEN UP ALL NIGHT. FIRST FLYING INTO ILM AND OUTBOUND TO LAX. WHILE THE FLT WAS LEGAL IN TERMS OF A DUTY DAY AND FLT TIME LIMITATIONS, I FEEL OUR COGNITIVE ABILITY WAS CERTAINLY REDUCED DUE TO THE CIRCADIAN CYCLE.

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.