Altitude bust in glass cockpit aircraft in night operation.

Attributes
ACN	250855
Time
Date	199309
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11650 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	250855
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time type : 30
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Last leg of 4 legs. First officer's first trip on line (3 1/2 yrs in the flight engineer seat). Very weak first officer. Cleared to 12000 ft on descent. I called '1000 ft to go' at 13000 ft. Autoplt on and I observed 'altitude capture' on my display. I looked down on my left side to reach approach plate. ATC called 'turn left to 350 degrees.' I responded watching first officer turn heading selector. At that time, the altitude alerter vocal and light came on (250 ft low). I looked at the altitude and then realizing we were low, disconnected autoplt and stopped the descent 350 ft low (11650 ft) and began climb back to 12000 ft. No aircraft observed on TCASII. 30 seconds after level at 12000 controller gave frequency change to approach control. I missed the actual level off at 12000 ft. Factors contributing to this are 1) fatigue (long day), 2) additional stress of flying with weak first officer all day long is very fatiguing. 3) first officer was trained on medium large transport first officer and returned to so widebody transport for 2 months and then returned to medium large transport. I will be extremely vigilant and am flying with this first officer for several trips. If he has not improved to a safe level I will take this to supervisor to prevent further possible problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT BUST IN GLASS COCKPIT ACFT IN NIGHT OP.

Narrative: LAST LEG OF 4 LEGS. FO'S FIRST TRIP ON LINE (3 1/2 YRS IN THE FE SEAT). VERY WEAK FO. CLRED TO 12000 FT ON DSCNT. I CALLED '1000 FT TO GO' AT 13000 FT. AUTOPLT ON AND I OBSERVED 'ALT CAPTURE' ON MY DISPLAY. I LOOKED DOWN ON MY L SIDE TO REACH APCH PLATE. ATC CALLED 'TURN L TO 350 DEGS.' I RESPONDED WATCHING FO TURN HDG SELECTOR. AT THAT TIME, THE ALT ALERTER VOCAL AND LIGHT CAME ON (250 FT LOW). I LOOKED AT THE ALT AND THEN REALIZING WE WERE LOW, DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND STOPPED THE DSCNT 350 FT LOW (11650 FT) AND BEGAN CLB BACK TO 12000 FT. NO ACFT OBSERVED ON TCASII. 30 SECONDS AFTER LEVEL AT 12000 CTLR GAVE FREQ CHANGE TO APCH CTL. I MISSED THE ACTUAL LEVEL OFF AT 12000 FT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ARE 1) FATIGUE (LONG DAY), 2) ADDITIONAL STRESS OF FLYING WITH WEAK FO ALL DAY LONG IS VERY FATIGUING. 3) FO WAS TRAINED ON MLG FO AND RETURNED TO SO WDB FOR 2 MONTHS AND THEN RETURNED TO MLG. I WILL BE EXTREMELY VIGILANT AND AM FLYING WITH THIS FO FOR SEVERAL TRIPS. IF HE HAS NOT IMPROVED TO A SAFE LEVEL I WILL TAKE THIS TO SUPVR TO PREVENT FURTHER POSSIBLE PROBS.

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.