A last min change of an ATC clearance leads to an altitude deviation overshoot of descent clearance.

Attributes
ACN	316438
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14500 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	316438
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 20000
ASRS Report	315710
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On arrival to st louis, have a lot of vectors. At 19000 ft told to slow to 250 KTS, told to cross qball at 11000 ft and 250 KTS. With 15 mi to go, I knew it would be hard to make. I turned autoplt off. Descending through 17000 ft, we were told to maintain 16000 ft and hold, captain read back 16000 ft, I never heard 16000 ft. At 14500, captain told me we were cleared to 16000 ft. I thought we were still cleared to 11000 ft. Captain was building the hold in the FMC, the altitude window never got reset to 16000 ft, still set at 11000 ft. The altitude should have been reset in window. I was flying the aircraft and was trying to make the 11000 ft and 250 KTS restr. Supplemental information from acn 315710: while in descent, I was given holding at qball at 16000 ft. I was working on hold page of FMC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LAST MIN CHANGE OF AN ATC CLRNC LEADS TO AN ALTDEV OVERSHOOT OF DSCNT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON ARR TO ST LOUIS, HAVE A LOT OF VECTORS. AT 19000 FT TOLD TO SLOW TO 250 KTS, TOLD TO CROSS QBALL AT 11000 FT AND 250 KTS. WITH 15 MI TO GO, I KNEW IT WOULD BE HARD TO MAKE. I TURNED AUTOPLT OFF. DSNDING THROUGH 17000 FT, WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT AND HOLD, CAPT READ BACK 16000 FT, I NEVER HEARD 16000 FT. AT 14500, CAPT TOLD ME WE WERE CLRED TO 16000 FT. I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL CLRED TO 11000 FT. CAPT WAS BUILDING THE HOLD IN THE FMC, THE ALT WINDOW NEVER GOT RESET TO 16000 FT, STILL SET AT 11000 FT. THE ALT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESET IN WINDOW. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE 11000 FT AND 250 KTS RESTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 315710: WHILE IN DSCNT, I WAS GIVEN HOLDING AT QBALL AT 16000 FT. I WAS WORKING ON HOLD PAGE OF FMC.

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.