<< >> NASA ASRS Report 517900, July 2001

B727-200 flight crew descends below assigned altitude during approach to ewr.

Attributes
ACN	517900
Time
Date	200107
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n90.tracon
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3300 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach ground : takeoff roll
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	517900
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Approaching ewr radar vectors. Captain was flying. We were cleared to descend to 4000 ft. In the process of looking for the airport and traffic, captain descended inadvertently to 3300 ft. All 3 crew members were looking outside at the time for traffic. He quickly returned to 4000 ft and ATC made no mention of any deviation. Soon thereafter, ATC cleared us to 3000 ft for the approach. Flight continued uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 FLT CREW DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT DURING APCH TO EWR.

Narrative: APCHING EWR RADAR VECTORS. CAPT WAS FLYING. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FT. IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR THE ARPT AND TFC, CAPT DSNDED INADVERTENTLY TO 3300 FT. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE AT THE TIME FOR TFC. HE QUICKLY RETURNED TO 4000 FT AND ATC MADE NO MENTION OF ANY DEV. SOON THEREAFTER, ATC CLRED US TO 3000 FT FOR THE APCH. FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.