An air carrier freighter flight crew descends out of their assigned altitude when the captain engages the heading hold switch instead of the altitude hold switch.

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Attributes
ACN	327040
Time
Date	199601
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5800 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	327040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
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:

Flight from ind to msp. Crew tired, fatigued. Different autoplt control panel from planes previously flown from ind to mem and mem back to ind that night. Leveled off at 6000 ft. Engaged altitude hold, but it was actually the heading hold switch. Plane descended very gradually to 5800 ft. Captain turned off autoplt, climbed back to 6000 ft and re-engaged autoplt and altitude hold. Causative factors. Autoplt panel switch differences, crew fatigue, company policy regarding sick/fatigue leave. Previous punitive action by company if pilot calls in fatigued.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FREIGHTER FLC DSNDS OUT OF THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE CAPT ENGAGES THE HDG HOLD SWITCH INSTEAD OF THE ALT HOLD SWITCH.

Narrative: FLT FROM IND TO MSP. CREW TIRED, FATIGUED. DIFFERENT AUTOPLT CTL PANEL FROM PLANES PREVIOUSLY FLOWN FROM IND TO MEM AND MEM BACK TO IND THAT NIGHT. LEVELED OFF AT 6000 FT. ENGAGED ALT HOLD, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE HDG HOLD SWITCH. PLANE DSNDED VERY GRADUALLY TO 5800 FT. CAPT TURNED OFF AUTOPLT, CLBED BACK TO 6000 FT AND RE-ENGAGED AUTOPLT AND ALT HOLD. CAUSATIVE FACTORS. AUTOPLT PANEL SWITCH DIFFERENCES, CREW FATIGUE, COMPANY POLICY REGARDING SICK/FATIGUE LEAVE. PREVIOUS PUNITIVE ACTION BY COMPANY IF PLT CALLS IN FATIGUED.

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.