Air carrier with first officer recent return to duty and hew hire so overshoots altitude in descent.

Attributes
ACN	120215
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11350 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	120215
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared to descend to maintain 12,000' from 18,000' while on the lendy arrival to jfk. We descended through 12,000' and the captain and first officer caught I passing through 11,500'. Recovery to assigned altitude was immediately started. Center said very little. Lowest altitude in the deviation was 11,350'. (What a shock it all was!) the first officer had set and armed the altitude alert box (he was flying) but was not using the flight director, so the altitude was not armed. The captain was looking outside and was not using the flight director. The altitude alert box is somewhat difficult to clearly see from the captain's side of cockpit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER WITH FO RECENT RETURN TO DUTY AND HEW HIRE SO OVERSHOOTS ALT IN DESCENT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO MAINTAIN 12,000' FROM 18,000' WHILE ON THE LENDY ARR TO JFK. WE DESCENDED THROUGH 12,000' AND THE CAPT AND F/O CAUGHT I PASSING THROUGH 11,500'. RECOVERY TO ASSIGNED ALT WAS IMMEDIATELY STARTED. CENTER SAID VERY LITTLE. LOWEST ALT IN THE DEVIATION WAS 11,350'. (WHAT A SHOCK IT ALL WAS!) THE F/O HAD SET AND ARMED THE ALT ALERT BOX (HE WAS FLYING) BUT WAS NOT USING THE FLT DIRECTOR, SO THE ALT WAS NOT ARMED. THE CAPT WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AND WAS NOT USING THE FLT DIRECTOR. THE ALT ALERT BOX IS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO CLEARLY SEE FROM THE CAPT'S SIDE OF COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.