An F100 flight crew gets distracted while sight-seeing resulting in an altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	526100
Time
Date	200109
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6700 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	526100
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
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 flying aircraft at 7000 ft, heading 250 degrees, northeast of ord on vector to runway 9L with autoplt on. Government aircraft parked on the military ramp. Clicked off autoplt to get a better view. Noticed aircraft was in a descent at approximately 6700 ft. Initiated correction and received ATC transmission 'air carrier X maintain 7000 ft, turn right to heading 270 degrees.' complied with clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN F100 FLT CREW GETS DISTRACTED WHILE SIGHT-SEEING RESULTING IN AN ALTDEV.

Narrative: CAPT FLYING ACFT AT 7000 FT, HEADING 250 DEGS, NE OF ORD ON VECTOR TO RWY 9L WITH AUTOPLT ON. GOV ACFT PARKED ON THE MIL RAMP. CLICKED OFF AUTOPLT TO GET A BETTER VIEW. NOTICED ACFT WAS IN A DSCNT AT APPROX 6700 FT. INITIATED CORRECTION AND RECEIVED ATC XMISSION 'ACR X MAINTAIN 7000 FT, TURN R TO HEADING 270 DEGS.' COMPLIED WITH CLRNC.

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.