Narrative:

We were about 60 NM north of buj for landing at dfw. My copilot was on her first leg on the line west/O a check pilot. I had been watching her very carefully as she was quite inexperienced, having never flown anything larger than the right seat of a twin engine. We received a clearance to cross baton at 9000'. We were at FL240 at the time. I reported leaving FL240 for 9000'. A few moments later I heard the controller asking several company aircraft behind us about their speed. I knew that since we were descending they were beginning to bunch up behind us. The controller issued us a new clearance to cross buj at or above 11000'. I acknowledged the clearance and explained to the copilot that the reason he wanted to do that was so we would keep our speed up longer and the aircraft behind us would not bunch up as much. I told her that if she crossed buj at 11000' and 250 KTS, she would have time to lose the 2000' in the remaining 14 NM to baton intersection. She indicated that she understood the clearance. Our company procedure is that whenever the autoplt is on, the PF will set the mod control panel, which includes the altitude select. It is my custom that whenever we receive an altitude clearance, I will watch the new altitude being set in and armed. I thought I did so this time, however I do not know if she initially set in 11000' and then changed it to 10000'. In any case, she misunderstood the clearance to cross buj at or below 11000' to cross baton at 9000'. We were descending at about 3000-3500 FPM. I was busy with running the preliminary checklist and when I looked up, we were going through 11300' with a high rate of descent. I then saw that she had 10000' set in the altitude select. I told her to level at 11000', but she became flustered and did not hit the altitude hold button. I disconnected the autoplt and pulled hard to level us out. Our downward momentum, however, carried us to 10500' before I could get us started back up. The controller asked us what we were doing and didn't we understand our clearance. I really didn't know what to say because I also had thought we understood the clearance. I am going to recommend to the company that we change our procedure and have the PNF always be the one to change the altitude in the MCP since he is the one reading back the clearance, and let the PF verify the altitude set and initiate the descent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OVERSHOT AMENDED CLRNC ALT DURING DESCENT INTO DFW.

Narrative: WE WERE ABOUT 60 NM N OF BUJ FOR LNDG AT DFW. MY COPLT WAS ON HER FIRST LEG ON THE LINE W/O A CHK PLT. I HAD BEEN WATCHING HER VERY CAREFULLY AS SHE WAS QUITE INEXPERIENCED, HAVING NEVER FLOWN ANYTHING LARGER THAN THE RIGHT SEAT OF A TWIN ENG. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CROSS BATON AT 9000'. WE WERE AT FL240 AT THE TIME. I RPTED LEAVING FL240 FOR 9000'. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I HEARD THE CTLR ASKING SEVERAL COMPANY ACFT BEHIND US ABOUT THEIR SPD. I KNEW THAT SINCE WE WERE DSNDING THEY WERE BEGINNING TO BUNCH UP BEHIND US. THE CTLR ISSUED US A NEW CLRNC TO CROSS BUJ AT OR ABOVE 11000'. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND EXPLAINED TO THE COPLT THAT THE REASON HE WANTED TO DO THAT WAS SO WE WOULD KEEP OUR SPD UP LONGER AND THE ACFT BEHIND US WOULD NOT BUNCH UP AS MUCH. I TOLD HER THAT IF SHE CROSSED BUJ AT 11000' AND 250 KTS, SHE WOULD HAVE TIME TO LOSE THE 2000' IN THE REMAINING 14 NM TO BATON INTXN. SHE INDICATED THAT SHE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. OUR COMPANY PROC IS THAT WHENEVER THE AUTOPLT IS ON, THE PF WILL SET THE MOD CTL PANEL, WHICH INCLUDES THE ALT SELECT. IT IS MY CUSTOM THAT WHENEVER WE RECEIVE AN ALT CLRNC, I WILL WATCH THE NEW ALT BEING SET IN AND ARMED. I THOUGHT I DID SO THIS TIME, HOWEVER I DO NOT KNOW IF SHE INITIALLY SET IN 11000' AND THEN CHANGED IT TO 10000'. IN ANY CASE, SHE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC TO CROSS BUJ AT OR BELOW 11000' TO CROSS BATON AT 9000'. WE WERE DSNDING AT ABOUT 3000-3500 FPM. I WAS BUSY WITH RUNNING THE PRELIMINARY CHKLIST AND WHEN I LOOKED UP, WE WERE GOING THROUGH 11300' WITH A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT. I THEN SAW THAT SHE HAD 10000' SET IN THE ALT SELECT. I TOLD HER TO LEVEL AT 11000', BUT SHE BECAME FLUSTERED AND DID NOT HIT THE ALT HOLD BUTTON. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PULLED HARD TO LEVEL US OUT. OUR DOWNWARD MOMENTUM, HOWEVER, CARRIED US TO 10500' BEFORE I COULD GET US STARTED BACK UP. THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING AND DIDN'T WE UNDERSTAND OUR CLRNC. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY BECAUSE I ALSO HAD THOUGHT WE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. I AM GOING TO RECOMMEND TO THE COMPANY THAT WE CHANGE OUR PROC AND HAVE THE PNF ALWAYS BE THE ONE TO CHANGE THE ALT IN THE MCP SINCE HE IS THE ONE READING BACK THE CLRNC, AND LET THE PF VERIFY THE ALT SET AND INITIATE THE DSCNT.

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.