<< >> NASA ASRS Report 517100, July 2001

During a slow descent into mco due to thunderstorm avoidance, an altitude excursion went unnoticed until the alerter sounded.

Attributes
ACN	517100
Time
Date	200107
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15600 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fmy.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	517100
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were on our #6 leg and into our 11TH duty hour of the day. Descending into mco in aircraft being vectored because of thunderstorm avoidance. Descent was a slow stepdown type with no assigned altitude obtained due to newly issued altitudes, until the last one we deviated at (16000 ft). We reached 15600 ft and immediately corrected. Made all callouts. No observed traffic in area -- visually or TCASII. Radios were quiet. Controller never mentioned anything. I was calculating times of arrival and was just about to call in times, when altitude horn sounded. Biggest factor I believe for deviation was crew fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A SLOW DSCNT INTO MCO DUE TO TSTM AVOIDANCE, AN ALT EXCURSION WENT UNNOTICED UNTIL THE ALERTER SOUNDED.

Narrative: WE WERE ON OUR #6 LEG AND INTO OUR 11TH DUTY HR OF THE DAY. DSNDING INTO MCO IN ACFT BEING VECTORED BECAUSE OF TSTM AVOIDANCE. DSCNT WAS A SLOW STEPDOWN TYPE WITH NO ASSIGNED ALT OBTAINED DUE TO NEWLY ISSUED ALTS, UNTIL THE LAST ONE WE DEVIATED AT (16000 FT). WE REACHED 15600 FT AND IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED. MADE ALL CALLOUTS. NO OBSERVED TFC IN AREA -- VISUALLY OR TCASII. RADIOS WERE QUIET. CTLR NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING. I WAS CALCULATING TIMES OF ARR AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO CALL IN TIMES, WHEN ALT HORN SOUNDED. BIGGEST FACTOR I BELIEVE FOR DEV WAS CREW FATIGUE.

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.