Altitude deviation. Overshoot on descent.

Attributes
ACN	317270
Time
Date	199509
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3650 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	317270
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While being vectored for a visual approach to mem, aircraft was being flown by first officer, descending to 4000 ft, in a left turn to join final, and looking for B757 traffic to follow. Autoplt was on. Traffic and airport were located, I looked at altimeter and we had descended to approximately 3650 ft MSL, still descending, correction back to 4000 ft was immediate. It was the end of a 4 hour flight and conditions were visual. Too many heads/eyes outside of cockpit! Rest of flight completed uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV. OVERSHOOT ON DSCNT.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO MEM, ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN BY FO, DSNDING TO 4000 FT, IN A L TURN TO JOIN FINAL, AND LOOKING FOR B757 TFC TO FOLLOW. AUTOPLT WAS ON. TFC AND ARPT WERE LOCATED, I LOOKED AT ALTIMETER AND WE HAD DSNDED TO APPROX 3650 FT MSL, STILL DSNDING, CORRECTION BACK TO 4000 FT WAS IMMEDIATE. IT WAS THE END OF A 4 HR FLT AND CONDITIONS WERE VISUAL. TOO MANY HEADS/EYES OUTSIDE OF COCKPIT! REST OF FLT COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.