A B727 so receiving IOE training notes that its distraction prevented him from backing up the pilots...

Attributes
ACN	526920
Time
Date	200110
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	526920
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on descent into atl. We were being vectored by atl approach control. The autoplt was disconnected due to numerous altitude, heading and airspeed changes. The approach checklist was being run as we were cleared from 10000 ft to 9000 ft with a heading change and slowdown. 9000 ft was set in the altitude window. Passing through 8500 ft as the first officer was flying, the captain said 'I missed your 1000 ft call, passing 8500 ft for 8000 ft.' the first officer acknowledged. We all thought that 8000 ft was our clearance. Reaching 8000 ft, we realized that 9000 ft was set in the altitude window. The captain queried approach control about our cleared altitude. He replied 'the clearance was 9000 ft, but you are fine where you are.' the captain acknowledged, and the remainder of the descent was uneventful. No other aircraft were involved. I believe this happened because of the high workload at that time with the autoplt off. Because of the nature of the B727 autoplt, multiple phase of flight changes are difficult. I don't know why there was confusion about which altitude we were cleared to. I was receiving training as a new so on IOE, which may have added to the workload and my ability to back up the captain and first officer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 SO RECEIVING IOE TRAINING NOTES THAT ITS DISTR PREVENTED HIM FROM BACKING UP THE PLTS, WHO WERE OPERATING WITH AUTOPLT OFF AS A RESULT OF NUMEROUS CHANGES TO HDG AND ALT CLRNCS, WITH THE END RESULT OF AN ALT OVERSHOOT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON DSCNT INTO ATL. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY ATL APCH CTL. THE AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED DUE TO NUMEROUS ALT, HDG AND AIRSPD CHANGES. THE APCH CHKLIST WAS BEING RUN AS WE WERE CLRED FROM 10000 FT TO 9000 FT WITH A HDG CHANGE AND SLOWDOWN. 9000 FT WAS SET IN THE ALT WINDOW. PASSING THROUGH 8500 FT AS THE FO WAS FLYING, THE CAPT SAID 'I MISSED YOUR 1000 FT CALL, PASSING 8500 FT FOR 8000 FT.' THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED. WE ALL THOUGHT THAT 8000 FT WAS OUR CLRNC. REACHING 8000 FT, WE REALIZED THAT 9000 FT WAS SET IN THE ALT WINDOW. THE CAPT QUERIED APCH CTL ABOUT OUR CLRED ALT. HE REPLIED 'THE CLRNC WAS 9000 FT, BUT YOU ARE FINE WHERE YOU ARE.' THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE DSCNT WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO OTHER ACFT WERE INVOLVED. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WORKLOAD AT THAT TIME WITH THE AUTOPLT OFF. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE B727 AUTOPLT, MULTIPLE PHASE OF FLT CHANGES ARE DIFFICULT. I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT WHICH ALT WE WERE CLRED TO. I WAS RECEIVING TRAINING AS A NEW SO ON IOE, WHICH MAY HAVE ADDED TO THE WORKLOAD AND MY ABILITY TO BACK UP THE CAPT AND FO.

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.

A B727 so receiving IOE training notes that its distraction prevented him from backing up the pilots, who were operating with autoplt off as a result of numerous changes to heading and altitude clrncs, with the end result of an altitude overshoot.