Pilot strays off assigned altitude 500 ft.

Attributes
ACN	297676
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	297676
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff captain who was flying felt flight controls were too stiff and not responsive. He decided to return to O'hare (ord). We leveled at 5000 ft and 250 KTS and told departure control. We were switched to approach control and was told to call our base and make arrangements. The aircraft was approximately 8-10 mi southeast to east of ord VOR. As I found and tuned the radio frequency I looked up at the instruments and noticed that we were at 4500 ft. I told the captain to climb to 5000 ft and he did. We were at 4500 ft for about 2 seconds. We landed uneventfully and did not declare an emergency. In retrospect we should have to protect us from control problems and associated altitude loss. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the report said the aircraft type was a 737-300. He sent the report in because of the 500 ft altitude excursion. He bemoaned in passing the phenomena of pilot's reluctance to declare an emergency. In this case he felt the captain was over reacting to stiffness in the controls. He did not feel the controls were stiff. But, the decision to return was not his call. The maintenance could find nothing wrong with the airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT STRAYS OFF ASSIGNED ALT 500 FT.

Narrative: ON TKOF CAPT WHO WAS FLYING FELT FLT CTLS WERE TOO STIFF AND NOT RESPONSIVE. HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO O'HARE (ORD). WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT AND 250 KTS AND TOLD DEP CTL. WE WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL AND WAS TOLD TO CALL OUR BASE AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS. THE ACFT WAS APPROX 8-10 MI SE TO E OF ORD VOR. AS I FOUND AND TUNED THE RADIO FREQ I LOOKED UP AT THE INSTS AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE AT 4500 FT. I TOLD THE CAPT TO CLB TO 5000 FT AND HE DID. WE WERE AT 4500 FT FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. IN RETROSPECT WE SHOULD HAVE TO PROTECT US FROM CTL PROBS AND ASSOCIATED ALT LOSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPT SAID THE ACFT TYPE WAS A 737-300. HE SENT THE RPT IN BECAUSE OF THE 500 FT ALT EXCURSION. HE BEMOANED IN PASSING THE PHENOMENA OF PLT'S RELUCTANCE TO DECLARE AN EMER. IN THIS CASE HE FELT THE CAPT WAS OVER REACTING TO STIFFNESS IN THE CTLS. HE DID NOT FEEL THE CTLS WERE STIFF. BUT, THE DECISION TO RETURN WAS NOT HIS CALL. THE MAINT COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE.

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.