Altitude deviation on descent.

Attributes
ACN	298870
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mcb
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27500 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j35
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	298870
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	299095
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While descending from FL310 to FL280, PF was distracted from final leveloff at FL280. Aircraft was leveled at FL280 but altitude hold was no selected. Aircraft continued to descend to FL275. At which time crew corrected within 20 seconds. Once level at FL280, ZHU questioned the altitude loss. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-727 for a major united states air carrier. His air carrier's 727's have many different cockpit configns, especially in the autoplt. Some of the aircraft have altitude capture, but this aircraft did not. The captain leveled the aircraft off, then forgot to select altitude hold. More careful watching of the captain would have prevented this, but if you can't trust your captain, whom can you trust? The reporter has heard nothing further on this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON DSCNT.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FROM FL310 TO FL280, PF WAS DISTRACTED FROM FINAL LEVELOFF AT FL280. ACFT WAS LEVELED AT FL280 BUT ALT HOLD WAS NO SELECTED. ACFT CONTINUED TO DSND TO FL275. AT WHICH TIME CREW CORRECTED WITHIN 20 SECONDS. ONCE LEVEL AT FL280, ZHU QUESTIONED THE ALT LOSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-727 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HIS ACR'S 727'S HAVE MANY DIFFERENT COCKPIT CONFIGNS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AUTOPLT. SOME OF THE ACFT HAVE ALT CAPTURE, BUT THIS ACFT DID NOT. THE CAPT LEVELED THE ACFT OFF, THEN FORGOT TO SELECT ALT HOLD. MORE CAREFUL WATCHING OF THE CAPT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS, BUT IF YOU CAN'T TRUST YOUR CAPT, WHOM CAN YOU TRUST? THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER ON THIS.

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.