An air carrier flight crew flying a B737-200 into tpa failed to maintain altitude as assigned by ATC...

Attributes
ACN	454933
Time
Date	199911
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa.tracon tower : pvd.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	454933
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 18500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	454920
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Being vectored to downwind descending out of approximately 10000 ft to 5000 ft I deactivated autoplt, continued descent manually. Between 6000 ft and 5000 ft we were given several traffic callouts and a frequency change. When we checked on to the new controller we had passed our assigned altitude of 5000 ft and descended to almost 4500 ft. We caught our mistake and had already corrected back up to within 300 ft of assigned altitude before controller mentioned anything. I called later, on the ground, and talked to approach manager to see if there were any problems -- none stated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING A B737-200 INTO TPA FAILED TO MAINTAIN ALT AS ASSIGNED BY ATC.

Narrative: BEING VECTORED TO DOWNWIND DSNDING OUT OF APPROX 10000 FT TO 5000 FT I DEACTIVATED AUTOPLT, CONTINUED DSCNT MANUALLY. BTWN 6000 FT AND 5000 FT WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL TFC CALLOUTS AND A FREQ CHANGE. WHEN WE CHKED ON TO THE NEW CTLR WE HAD PASSED OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT AND DSNDED TO ALMOST 4500 FT. WE CAUGHT OUR MISTAKE AND HAD ALREADY CORRECTED BACK UP TO WITHIN 300 FT OF ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE CTLR MENTIONED ANYTHING. I CALLED LATER, ON THE GND, AND TALKED TO APCH MGR TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY PROBS -- NONE STATED.

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.