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Flight crew of a gulfstream 4 overshot assigned altitude during descent and corrected back due to WX avoidance distraction.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 439580 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199906 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : rfd.vortac |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 16100 msl bound upper : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Gulfstream IV |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 13460 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 439580 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned airspace |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
This was a crew only positioning leg on our company G4 oma-dpa (part 91). During descent and arrival phase we were diverting north around thunderstorms and in the clear. Both pilots were studying the radar to determine when we could turn back to the south. We were cleared to descend to 17000 ft. Descend rate was 3000 FPM. When we realized we had descended below 17000 ft and began an aggressive leveloff to get back to 17000 ft. I believe 16100 ft was the low point. There were no targets displayed on the TCASII. Center did not say anything and we did not report it to center. We were below assigned altitude for less than 1 min (1 second is too long). Pilot was hand flying aircraft and neither pilot heard or called the 1000 ft above altitude. Nobody flying the aircraft. We were both embarrassed and mortified to think we allowed this to happen. We had a long debrief and decided our sops are only effective if we use them. Somebody has got to fly the aircraft while the other pilot works the problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A GULFSTREAM 4 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT AND CORRECTED BACK DUE TO WX AVOIDANCE DISTR.
Narrative: THIS WAS A CREW ONLY POSITIONING LEG ON OUR COMPANY G4 OMA-DPA (PART 91). DURING DSCNT AND ARR PHASE WE WERE DIVERTING N AROUND TSTMS AND IN THE CLR. BOTH PLTS WERE STUDYING THE RADAR TO DETERMINE WHEN WE COULD TURN BACK TO THE S. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 17000 FT. DSND RATE WAS 3000 FPM. WHEN WE REALIZED WE HAD DSNDED BELOW 17000 FT AND BEGAN AN AGGRESSIVE LEVELOFF TO GET BACK TO 17000 FT. I BELIEVE 16100 FT WAS THE LOW POINT. THERE WERE NO TARGETS DISPLAYED ON THE TCASII. CTR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING AND WE DID NOT RPT IT TO CTR. WE WERE BELOW ASSIGNED ALT FOR LESS THAN 1 MIN (1 SECOND IS TOO LONG). PLT WAS HAND FLYING ACFT AND NEITHER PLT HEARD OR CALLED THE 1000 FT ABOVE ALT. NOBODY FLYING THE ACFT. WE WERE BOTH EMBARRASSED AND MORTIFIED TO THINK WE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN. WE HAD A LONG DEBRIEF AND DECIDED OUR SOPS ARE ONLY EFFECTIVE IF WE USE THEM. SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO FLY THE ACFT WHILE THE OTHER PLT WORKS THE PROB.
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.