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A B767-300 leaves cruise altitude prematurely when the first officer does not monitor the captain's actions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 438346 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199905 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : abq.vortac |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 32000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : ns.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 438346 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were cruising wbound at FL310. The captain was flying and I was performing first officer duties. ZAB said 'if you can take FL350 I can give you direct twenty-nine palms.' I responded 'we can take FL350.' the controller then said 'cleared direct twenty-nine palms...maintain FL310...I'll get you higher when clear of traffic.' I read back the clearance and looked down at my high altitude chart for the company local area frequency and some other en route data. The captain apparently set FL350 in the MCP and reset the cruise altitude in the FMS. When I looked up we were climbing through FL315. ATC asked if we were level at FL310. I told the captain to get back down to FL310. We were not cleared to climb yet. He disconnected the autoplt and hand flew the aircraft back to FL310 but not before we got to FL320 a full 1000 ft above our assigned altitude. The captain could have prevented this altitude deviation by following established procedure and getting my concurrence on the altitude change. I could have prevented it by watching more carefully the captain's inputs on the MCP.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B767-300 LEAVES CRUISE ALT PREMATURELY WHEN THE FO DOES NOT MONITOR THE CAPT'S ACTIONS.
Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING WBOUND AT FL310. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS PERFORMING FO DUTIES. ZAB SAID 'IF YOU CAN TAKE FL350 I CAN GIVE YOU DIRECT TWENTY-NINE PALMS.' I RESPONDED 'WE CAN TAKE FL350.' THE CTLR THEN SAID 'CLRED DIRECT TWENTY-NINE PALMS...MAINTAIN FL310...I'LL GET YOU HIGHER WHEN CLR OF TFC.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND LOOKED DOWN AT MY HIGH ALT CHART FOR THE COMPANY LCL AREA FREQ AND SOME OTHER ENRTE DATA. THE CAPT APPARENTLY SET FL350 IN THE MCP AND RESET THE CRUISE ALT IN THE FMS. WHEN I LOOKED UP WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL315. ATC ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT FL310. I TOLD THE CAPT TO GET BACK DOWN TO FL310. WE WERE NOT CLRED TO CLB YET. HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND HAND FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO FL310 BUT NOT BEFORE WE GOT TO FL320 A FULL 1000 FT ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE CAPT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ALTDEV BY FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED PROC AND GETTING MY CONCURRENCE ON THE ALT CHANGE. I COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT BY WATCHING MORE CAREFULLY THE CAPT'S INPUTS ON THE MCP.
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.