Flight crew deviates from altitude 500 ft.

Attributes
ACN	303140
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vrb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	303140
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
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:

I was acting as copilot for the owner's son who is rated and current in the aircraft. He was PIC in the left seat, hand flying the airplane. Throughout the flight I had pointed out altdevs, on the order of 300 ft. At the time in question, the PIC was struggling to put on his headset and instead of asking me to fly, or use the autoplt, decided to let the airplane do it's own thing. We were high on altitude at the time and in the process gained approximately 500 ft, prompting a call from ATC. I acknowledged the call and immediately pushed the aircraft back on altitude. The PIC then turned on the autoplt, with altitude hold, and there was no more problem. Several things can be done to prevent reoccurrence: some work with cockpit resource management so 1 pilot is always flying the airplane, paying attention to altitude, more assertiveness in pointing out altitude deviation regardless of who the PIC is.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DEVIATES FROM ALT 500 FT.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS COPLT FOR THE OWNER'S SON WHO IS RATED AND CURRENT IN THE ACFT. HE WAS PIC IN THE L SEAT, HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE. THROUGHOUT THE FLT I HAD POINTED OUT ALTDEVS, ON THE ORDER OF 300 FT. AT THE TIME IN QUESTION, THE PIC WAS STRUGGLING TO PUT ON HIS HEADSET AND INSTEAD OF ASKING ME TO FLY, OR USE THE AUTOPLT, DECIDED TO LET THE AIRPLANE DO IT'S OWN THING. WE WERE HIGH ON ALT AT THE TIME AND IN THE PROCESS GAINED APPROX 500 FT, PROMPTING A CALL FROM ATC. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL AND IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE ACFT BACK ON ALT. THE PIC THEN TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT, WITH ALT HOLD, AND THERE WAS NO MORE PROB. SEVERAL THINGS CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE: SOME WORK WITH COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT SO 1 PLT IS ALWAYS FLYING THE AIRPLANE, PAYING ATTN TO ALT, MORE ASSERTIVENESS IN POINTING OUT ALTDEV REGARDLESS OF WHO THE PIC IS.

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.