Descending medium large transport has 300' altitude overshot.

Attributes
ACN	151596
Time
Date	199007
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22700 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	151596
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time type : 100
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	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:

The last leg (4TH one) of the second day of a 4 day trip. (And I don't like 4 day trips). A new first officer (3RD trip). A new F/a (1ST time flying lead). Also my first trip wearing glasses. My new first officer asking many questions throughout the day. A misunderstanding with the new F/a, so he fed the first officer dinner, but did not feed me. He thought I didn't want to eat. Just a misunderstanding, but I could have used some food. After wearing my new glasses all day I had a small headache. From all of this I was also getting tired and I forgot to fly the airplane. Caught it about 200' low still descending. By the time I stopped the descent. I was 300' low. Climbed back to altitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. The primary cause of this overshoot was the captain was thinking more about the dinner he had been denied than about flying. He also corrected his flying time in aircraft type. He added that there is a lot of animosity on his airline as a result of a merger 4 years ago. This had no effect on the subject incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DESCENDING MLG HAS 300' ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: THE LAST LEG (4TH ONE) OF THE SECOND DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP. (AND I DON'T LIKE 4 DAY TRIPS). A NEW F/O (3RD TRIP). A NEW F/A (1ST TIME FLYING LEAD). ALSO MY FIRST TRIP WEARING GLASSES. MY NEW F/O ASKING MANY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. A MISUNDERSTANDING WITH THE NEW F/A, SO HE FED THE F/O DINNER, BUT DID NOT FEED ME. HE THOUGHT I DIDN'T WANT TO EAT. JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT I COULD HAVE USED SOME FOOD. AFTER WEARING MY NEW GLASSES ALL DAY I HAD A SMALL HEADACHE. FROM ALL OF THIS I WAS ALSO GETTING TIRED AND I FORGOT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. CAUGHT IT ABOUT 200' LOW STILL DSNDING. BY THE TIME I STOPPED THE DSNT. I WAS 300' LOW. CLIMBED BACK TO ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS OVERSHOOT WAS THE CAPT WAS THINKING MORE ABOUT THE DINNER HE HAD BEEN DENIED THAN ABOUT FLYING. HE ALSO CORRECTED HIS FLYING TIME IN ACFT TYPE. HE ADDED THAT THERE IS A LOT OF ANIMOSITY ON HIS AIRLINE AS A RESULT OF A MERGER 4 YEARS AGO. THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE SUBJECT INCIDENT.

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.