Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	139883
Time
Date	199003
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rzs
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24350
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	139883
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Had been at cruise altitude for a short while. F/a had brought up food, which the captain was intent upon consuming while reading his wall street journal. He was doing the flying and I was responsible for communications. While flipping through the pages of the newspaper, the captain must have disarmed the altitude hold function of the autoplt. I was occupied with cockpit duties and heard the altitude alert, which goes off at 300'. I immediately noticed we were at 24350' and climbing slowly in vertical speed hold. The captain disconnected the autoplt, pushed the nose over and turned the transponder off. Center inquired as to our altitude and the captain replied that we were level and must be having mode C problems. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: HAD BEEN AT CRUISE ALT FOR A SHORT WHILE. F/A HAD BROUGHT UP FOOD, WHICH THE CAPT WAS INTENT UPON CONSUMING WHILE READING HIS WALL STREET JOURNAL. HE WAS DOING THE FLYING AND I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMS. WHILE FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES OF THE NEWSPAPER, THE CAPT MUST HAVE DISARMED THE ALT HOLD FUNCTION OF THE AUTOPLT. I WAS OCCUPIED WITH COCKPIT DUTIES AND HEARD THE ALT ALERT, WHICH GOES OFF AT 300'. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED WE WERE AT 24350' AND CLBING SLOWLY IN VERT SPD HOLD. THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND TURNED THE XPONDER OFF. CENTER INQUIRED AS TO OUR ALT AND THE CAPT REPLIED THAT WE WERE LEVEL AND MUST BE HAVING MODE C PROBS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.