Captain of a B727 overshot assigned altitude during climb due to believing that he was cleared to his flight plan altitude instead of only 1000 ft higher than the altitude to which he had been.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	464883
Time
Date	200002
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tys.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29280
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	464883
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 4250 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	464740
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A step climb of 1000 ft was issued by ATC from FL280 to FL290. I misunderstood clearance and thought I was cleared to FL310. The result was an altitude overshoot of 280 ft (29280 ft). Aircraft was immediately returned to FL290. Supplemental information from acn 464740: aircraft started to autoplt leveloff at 28800 ft. Captain (PF) turned off the autoplt and continued the climb. First officer noticed the aircraft passing 29150 ft and told the captain. Aircraft climbed to 29280 before captain could recover to FL290. Captain said he was thinking we were cleared to FL310 when he turned the autoplt off as it was trying to level us off at FL290.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING CLB DUE TO BELIEVING THAT HE WAS CLRED TO HIS FLT PLAN ALT INSTEAD OF ONLY 1000 FT HIGHER THAN THE ALT TO WHICH HE HAD BEEN.

Narrative: A STEP CLB OF 1000 FT WAS ISSUED BY ATC FROM FL280 TO FL290. I MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC AND THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO FL310. THE RESULT WAS AN ALT OVERSHOOT OF 280 FT (29280 FT). ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO FL290. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 464740: ACFT STARTED TO AUTOPLT LEVELOFF AT 28800 FT. CAPT (PF) TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND CONTINUED THE CLB. FO NOTICED THE ACFT PASSING 29150 FT AND TOLD THE CAPT. ACFT CLBED TO 29280 BEFORE CAPT COULD RECOVER TO FL290. CAPT SAID HE WAS THINKING WE WERE CLRED TO FL310 WHEN HE TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AS IT WAS TRYING TO LEVEL US OFF AT FL290.

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.