Narrative:

We were approaching mco from the northeast at 10000 ft. Mco approach kept us high. They then descended us to 6000 ft when we were approximately 19 mi from the airport. Approximately 1 min later, they cleared us to 4000 ft and turned us to a heading to intercept the runway 18R localizer. We then received instructions to descend to 3000 ft and once established on the localizer cleared for the approach. I selected approach mode on the autoplt at this time. Immediately the autoplt captured the localizer. The captain and I realized they had kept us too high and we would not be able to capture the GS with normal descent procedures. We requested a vector back around to the localizer so we would be stabilized for the approach. Mco approach assigned us a heading of 270 degrees and to amend our altitude to maintain 4000 ft. The captain selected 4000 ft in the altitude select window and I verbally confirmed it. At the same time was trying to get the autoplt to turn to a heading of 270 degrees. I was having difficulty getting the heading select mode to engage so I disengaged the autoplt and hand flew the aircraft to a 270 degree heading. At this time I recall we were descending out of 4500 ft and mco approach told us to turn to a 020 degree heading and maintain 220 KTS. At this time I recall being close to 4000 ft. Mco approach immediately told us to turn to 150 degree heading and maintain 220 KTS. He then told us to join the localizer and reclred us for the approach. Between the 270 degree heading assignment and the 020 degree heading assignment is when the altitude alerter went off. The captain told me to maintain 4000 ft. I looked down at the altimeter and it read 3700 ft and descending. By the time I stopped the descent and started to climb back to 4000 ft MSL we had descended to 3500 ft. Mco approach told us to maintain 4000 ft when we were climbing through 3700 ft. We confirmed we were going to maintain 4000 ft. We joined the localizer shot the ILS and landed on runway 18R without incident. Several things were factors leading up to this altitude deviation: 1) mco approach being very busy with traffic and storms in the area and not being able to clear us to a lower altitude before vectoring us to an ILS. 2) my inability to select heading select while in approach mode. (Lack of fully knowing all the characteristics of approach mode on the autoplt.) therefore having to hand fly. 3) increased workload due to hand flying and not comprehending the altitude amendment even though I verbally confirmed it. 4) long duty day. I had been assigned a quick overnight the day prior and had the minimum rest period. Fatigue was a factor. Supplemental information from acn 486440: vectored around thunderstorms north through northeast through east of orl VOR. Receiving radar vectors for sequence runway 18R. We were held high and fast approaching mco from east. Thunderstorms in vicinity. Vectored too close to airport for stabilized approach. Requested vectors off final to lose altitude. We were at 8500 ft MSL at 15 mi from airport at 250 KTS. First officer flying during rapid descent. Conflicting traffic was factor during delaying vectors which caused me to not concentrate on altitude during descent. Told first officer to maintain 4000 ft MSL (our clearance altitude) as we descended to 3600 ft MSL after altitude alerter sounded. Contributing factors: approach controller held us too high and too fast to complete a stabilized approach. Thunderstorms in area. Traffic conflict that did not result in loss of separation. Failed to call out 1000 ft to go. Very high workload. Last flight of day, somewhat tired. What can be done to prevent recurrence: adherence to stop concerning altitude awareness do not allow controllers to vector flts into unachievable flight position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 CREW HAD ALT OVERSHOOT IN MCO CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING MCO FROM THE NE AT 10000 FT. MCO APCH KEPT US HIGH. THEY THEN DSNDED US TO 6000 FT WHEN WE WERE APPROX 19 MI FROM THE ARPT. APPROX 1 MIN LATER, THEY CLRED US TO 4000 FT AND TURNED US TO A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 18R LOC. WE THEN RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC CLRED FOR THE APCH. I SELECTED APCH MODE ON THE AUTOPLT AT THIS TIME. IMMEDIATELY THE AUTOPLT CAPTURED THE LOC. THE CAPT AND I REALIZED THEY HAD KEPT US TOO HIGH AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE GS WITH NORMAL DSCNT PROCS. WE REQUESTED A VECTOR BACK AROUND TO THE LOC SO WE WOULD BE STABILIZED FOR THE APCH. MCO APCH ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 270 DEGS AND TO AMEND OUR ALT TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. THE CAPT SELECTED 4000 FT IN THE ALT SELECT WINDOW AND I VERBALLY CONFIRMED IT. AT THE SAME TIME WAS TRYING TO GET THE AUTOPLT TO TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THE HDG SELECT MODE TO ENGAGE SO I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND HAND FLEW THE ACFT TO A 270 DEG HDG. AT THIS TIME I RECALL WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF 4500 FT AND MCO APCH TOLD US TO TURN TO A 020 DEG HDG AND MAINTAIN 220 KTS. AT THIS TIME I RECALL BEING CLOSE TO 4000 FT. MCO APCH IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO TURN TO 150 DEG HDG AND MAINTAIN 220 KTS. HE THEN TOLD US TO JOIN THE LOC AND RECLRED US FOR THE APCH. BTWN THE 270 DEG HDG ASSIGNMENT AND THE 020 DEG HDG ASSIGNMENT IS WHEN THE ALT ALERTER WENT OFF. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ALTIMETER AND IT READ 3700 FT AND DSNDING. BY THE TIME I STOPPED THE DSCNT AND STARTED TO CLB BACK TO 4000 FT MSL WE HAD DSNDED TO 3500 FT. MCO APCH TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT WHEN WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 3700 FT. WE CONFIRMED WE WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. WE JOINED THE LOC SHOT THE ILS AND LANDED ON RWY 18R WITHOUT INCIDENT. SEVERAL THINGS WERE FACTORS LEADING UP TO THIS ALTDEV: 1) MCO APCH BEING VERY BUSY WITH TFC AND STORMS IN THE AREA AND NOT BEING ABLE TO CLR US TO A LOWER ALT BEFORE VECTORING US TO AN ILS. 2) MY INABILITY TO SELECT HDG SELECT WHILE IN APCH MODE. (LACK OF FULLY KNOWING ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF APCH MODE ON THE AUTOPLT.) THEREFORE HAVING TO HAND FLY. 3) INCREASED WORKLOAD DUE TO HAND FLYING AND NOT COMPREHENDING THE ALT AMENDMENT EVEN THOUGH I VERBALLY CONFIRMED IT. 4) LONG DUTY DAY. I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A QUICK OVERNIGHT THE DAY PRIOR AND HAD THE MINIMUM REST PERIOD. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486440: VECTORED AROUND TSTMS N THROUGH NE THROUGH E OF ORL VOR. RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FOR SEQUENCE RWY 18R. WE WERE HELD HIGH AND FAST APCHING MCO FROM E. TSTMS IN VICINITY. VECTORED TOO CLOSE TO ARPT FOR STABILIZED APCH. REQUESTED VECTORS OFF FINAL TO LOSE ALT. WE WERE AT 8500 FT MSL AT 15 MI FROM ARPT AT 250 KTS. FO FLYING DURING RAPID DSCNT. CONFLICTING TFC WAS FACTOR DURING DELAYING VECTORS WHICH CAUSED ME TO NOT CONCENTRATE ON ALT DURING DSCNT. TOLD FO TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT MSL (OUR CLRNC ALT) AS WE DSNDED TO 3600 FT MSL AFTER ALT ALERTER SOUNDED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: APCH CTLR HELD US TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST TO COMPLETE A STABILIZED APCH. TSTMS IN AREA. TFC CONFLICT THAT DID NOT RESULT IN LOSS OF SEPARATION. FAILED TO CALL OUT 1000 FT TO GO. VERY HIGH WORKLOAD. LAST FLT OF DAY, SOMEWHAT TIRED. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT RECURRENCE: ADHERENCE TO STOP CONCERNING ALT AWARENESS DO NOT ALLOW CTLRS TO VECTOR FLTS INTO UNACHIEVABLE FLT POS.

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.