Narrative:

I was PNF, and had just checked in with ord TRACON. I then let the first officer know I was going off communication #1 to call the company operations to let them know we were in range, and to find out what gate to expect. I then called the flight attendant to let her know we were in range and what gate we were going to. Before I left communication #1, we were level at 8000 ft. I then came back to communication #1, and before I could ask the first officer if there were any changes, ATC gave us a frequency change, so I went ahead and took the call. I then called the next controller and told him we were descending out of 7400 ft, which I saw on the altimeter, and were descending to XXXX. I then looked at the adu on the autoplt, and it showed 3000 ft. I knew that at that point in the approach, 3000 ft was not right, so I asked the first officer what our descent clearance was supposed to be. He wasn't sure either. I was off communication #1 when he got an altitude change. He then shut the autoplt off and stopped the descent and started to climb while I was trying to verify the altitude with ATC. It was busy, so it took a few tries to get an answer. ATC then verified it was 7000 ft. I saw him add some power by his hand movement on the power levers, but I never saw how much torque he had put in. The rest of the flight went fine. We then parked at the gate, and after the passenger were off, I said my good-byes to the crew and then left the aircraft. There was never any mention to me from the first officer that he overtorqued the engines while we were in the air, or after we were on the ground. I was only made aware of this after I arrived home and I got a call from assistant chief pilot that the overtorque was about 130%.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT FO OVERTORQUED ENGS.

Narrative: I WAS PNF, AND HAD JUST CHKED IN WITH ORD TRACON. I THEN LET THE FO KNOW I WAS GOING OFF COM #1 TO CALL THE COMPANY OPS TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE IN RANGE, AND TO FIND OUT WHAT GATE TO EXPECT. I THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO LET HER KNOW WE WERE IN RANGE AND WHAT GATE WE WERE GOING TO. BEFORE I LEFT COM #1, WE WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT. I THEN CAME BACK TO COM #1, AND BEFORE I COULD ASK THE FO IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGES, ATC GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE, SO I WENT AHEAD AND TOOK THE CALL. I THEN CALLED THE NEXT CTLR AND TOLD HIM WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF 7400 FT, WHICH I SAW ON THE ALTIMETER, AND WERE DSNDING TO XXXX. I THEN LOOKED AT THE ADU ON THE AUTOPLT, AND IT SHOWED 3000 FT. I KNEW THAT AT THAT POINT IN THE APCH, 3000 FT WAS NOT RIGHT, SO I ASKED THE FO WHAT OUR DSCNT CLRNC WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. HE WASN'T SURE EITHER. I WAS OFF COM #1 WHEN HE GOT AN ALT CHANGE. HE THEN SHUT THE AUTOPLT OFF AND STOPPED THE DSCNT AND STARTED TO CLB WHILE I WAS TRYING TO VERIFY THE ALT WITH ATC. IT WAS BUSY, SO IT TOOK A FEW TRIES TO GET AN ANSWER. ATC THEN VERIFIED IT WAS 7000 FT. I SAW HIM ADD SOME PWR BY HIS HAND MOVEMENT ON THE PWR LEVERS, BUT I NEVER SAW HOW MUCH TORQUE HE HAD PUT IN. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT FINE. WE THEN PARKED AT THE GATE, AND AFTER THE PAX WERE OFF, I SAID MY GOOD-BYES TO THE CREW AND THEN LEFT THE ACFT. THERE WAS NEVER ANY MENTION TO ME FROM THE FO THAT HE OVERTORQUED THE ENGS WHILE WE WERE IN THE AIR, OR AFTER WE WERE ON THE GND. I WAS ONLY MADE AWARE OF THIS AFTER I ARRIVED HOME AND I GOT A CALL FROM ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT THAT THE OVERTORQUE WAS ABOUT 130%.

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.