Small transport pilot descends below assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	318980
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	318980
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared from cruise at 11000 ft to cross fix at 7000 ft. Repeated clearance to cross at 7000 ft. I was listening to ATIS simultaneously while listening to approach. Wrote down ATIS clearance and crossing altitude. Wrote down altitude as 6000 ft. Descended and maintained 6000 ft and crossed fix (MEA was 5000 ft). Approach called with altitude and requested what I understood my cleared altitude to be. After checking my written notes, I replied I thought it to be 6000 ft which is where I had been approximately 3 mins before crossing fix. Controller informed me I had been cleared to 7000 ft, but told me to remain at 6000 ft. Contributing factors: terminal workload, acquiring ATIS, changing frequencys (controllers, navaids), checking approach charts based on ATIS information, turbulence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: CLRED FROM CRUISE AT 11000 FT TO CROSS FIX AT 7000 FT. REPEATED CLRNC TO CROSS AT 7000 FT. I WAS LISTENING TO ATIS SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE LISTENING TO APCH. WROTE DOWN ATIS CLRNC AND XING ALT. WROTE DOWN ALT AS 6000 FT. DSNDED AND MAINTAINED 6000 FT AND CROSSED FIX (MEA WAS 5000 FT). APCH CALLED WITH ALT AND REQUESTED WHAT I UNDERSTOOD MY CLRED ALT TO BE. AFTER CHKING MY WRITTEN NOTES, I REPLIED I THOUGHT IT TO BE 6000 FT WHICH IS WHERE I HAD BEEN APPROX 3 MINS BEFORE XING FIX. CTLR INFORMED ME I HAD BEEN CLRED TO 7000 FT, BUT TOLD ME TO REMAIN AT 6000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: TERMINAL WORKLOAD, ACQUIRING ATIS, CHANGING FREQS (CTLRS, NAVAIDS), CHKING APCH CHARTS BASED ON ATIS INFO, TURB.

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.