<< >> NASA ASRS Report 478860, July 2000

A descending B767 PIC fails to listen to his first officer and overshoots his assigned altitude southeast of atl, GA.

Attributes
ACN	478860
Time
Date	200007
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : atl.vortac
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Route In Use	arrival star : sinca
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	478860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
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:

Captain was instructed to cross canuk intersection at and maintain 12000 ft MSL on sinca 3 arrival into atl. Captain continued descent below 12000 ft restr even after several warnings from first officer. First officer told captain to level off. Captain queried atl and was told that yes he was instructed to level at 12000 ft. Captain thought that he heard cross canuk at 12000 ft or below. Atl told captain that he could remain at 11500 ft and issued frequency change. Low workload, crew, ATC, low frequency congestion, complacent captain, close to retirement. Rather than heed first officer's warning before altitude deviation, captain elected to believe his incorrect perception than to check to see if he was wrong. No atl reprimand or phone number issued. Flight continued uneventfully to landing at atl.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING B767 PIC FAILS TO LISTEN TO HIS FO AND OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED ALT SE OF ATL, GA.

Narrative: CAPT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS CANUK INTXN AT AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT MSL ON SINCA 3 ARR INTO ATL. CAPT CONTINUED DSCNT BELOW 12000 FT RESTR EVEN AFTER SEVERAL WARNINGS FROM FO. FO TOLD CAPT TO LEVEL OFF. CAPT QUERIED ATL AND WAS TOLD THAT YES HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO LEVEL AT 12000 FT. CAPT THOUGHT THAT HE HEARD CROSS CANUK AT 12000 FT OR BELOW. ATL TOLD CAPT THAT HE COULD REMAIN AT 11500 FT AND ISSUED FREQ CHANGE. LOW WORKLOAD, CREW, ATC, LOW FREQ CONGESTION, COMPLACENT CAPT, CLOSE TO RETIREMENT. RATHER THAN HEED FO'S WARNING BEFORE ALTDEV, CAPT ELECTED TO BELIEVE HIS INCORRECT PERCEPTION THAN TO CHK TO SEE IF HE WAS WRONG. NO ATL REPRIMAND OR PHONE NUMBER ISSUED. FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO LNDG AT ATL.

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.