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Air carrier descends below assigned altitude when confused about clearance received when distraction by flight attendant in the cockpit.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 444770 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199908 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : eau.vortac |
| State Reference | WI |
| Altitude | msl single value : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : ns |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 444770 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight attendant was in cockpit addressing passenger concern about what he saw on wing. At this time clearance was received for lower altitude. Captain was PNF handling radios. When call came in, first officer took clearance while captain was talking to flight attendant. Flight attendant then left cockpit, captain resumed PNF duties. A frequency change was shortly taken and at that point the controller queried us about our altitude. We told him we had descent to cross twinz intersection at 11000 ft. The controller then stated that the instruction was to descend to FL240 'expect' twinz at 11000 ft. We were then instructed to maintain FL220 then shortly were given twinz at 11000 ft. First officer stated he thought clearance was descend to FL240 cross twinz at 11000 ft. As captain, I should have stated you have ATC to reinforce first officer's responsibility to direct attention to that. Conversation regarding the wing was his distraction. I abhor the 'expect' to cross clearance as it has a built in danger.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT WHEN CONFUSED ABOUT CLRNC RECEIVED WHEN DISTR BY FLT ATTENDANT IN THE COCKPIT.
Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN COCKPIT ADDRESSING PAX CONCERN ABOUT WHAT HE SAW ON WING. AT THIS TIME CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FOR LOWER ALT. CAPT WAS PNF HANDLING RADIOS. WHEN CALL CAME IN, FO TOOK CLRNC WHILE CAPT WAS TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT THEN LEFT COCKPIT, CAPT RESUMED PNF DUTIES. A FREQ CHANGE WAS SHORTLY TAKEN AND AT THAT POINT THE CTLR QUERIED US ABOUT OUR ALT. WE TOLD HIM WE HAD DSCNT TO CROSS TWINZ INTXN AT 11000 FT. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT THE INSTRUCTION WAS TO DSND TO FL240 'EXPECT' TWINZ AT 11000 FT. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN FL220 THEN SHORTLY WERE GIVEN TWINZ AT 11000 FT. FO STATED HE THOUGHT CLRNC WAS DSND TO FL240 CROSS TWINZ AT 11000 FT. AS CAPT, I SHOULD HAVE STATED YOU HAVE ATC TO REINFORCE FO'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DIRECT ATTN TO THAT. CONVERSATION REGARDING THE WING WAS HIS DISTR. I ABHOR THE 'EXPECT' TO CROSS CLRNC AS IT HAS A BUILT IN DANGER.
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.