Air carrier flight crew descends through a crossing restr altitude.

Attributes
ACN	437510
Time
Date	199905
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : vcn.vortac
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : cedar lake 7
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	437510
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	437304
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach clearance read to cross vcn at 9000 ft then descend to 8000 ft. We set 8000 ft in the altitude alert window and descended to 8000 ft prior to reaching vcn VOR. My preoccupation with setting up for CAT ii approach along with setting 8000 ft in the altitude alert window instead of 9000 ft lead to this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC DSNDS THROUGH A XING RESTR ALT.

Narrative: APCH CLRNC READ TO CROSS VCN AT 9000 FT THEN DSND TO 8000 FT. WE SET 8000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW AND DSNDED TO 8000 FT PRIOR TO REACHING VCN VOR. MY PREOCCUPATION WITH SETTING UP FOR CAT II APCH ALONG WITH SETTING 8000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW INSTEAD OF 9000 FT LEAD TO THIS INCIDENT.

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.