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Air carrier flight crew overshot assigned altitude during descent. A TCASII climb command led to flight crew recognition of the altitude deviation and the aircraft's return to the assigned altitude. Controller queried.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 330677 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199603 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mod |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27600 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 330677 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 25400 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 330810 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Cruising at FL310 and cleared direct to mod for mod 2 arrival to sfo. ATC cleared flight to FL280. Captain acknowledged, but I thought I heard FL180 and set FL180 in altitude alerter. Autoplt on. At approximately FL283 TCASII broadcast a traffic warn, and both pilots were visually looking for traffic. At approximately FL279, TCASII called for climb and captain directed level off at FL280. Aircraft descended to approximately FL276 before returning to FL280. ATC asked for our altitude and we reported level at FL280 as aircraft had already leveled at FL280. TCASII showed traffic passing below us at FL270. The mistake was setting FL180 in altitude monitor. It seemed reasonable as I was already concerned about the distance remaining to comply with the arrival altitude at cedes intersection. Descent rate was approximately 2000 FPM at an assigned speed of 280 KIAS. A verbal and visual check of the proper altitude should have caught the error. Supplemental information from acn 330810: ATC cleared flight to FL280. I acknowledged but first officer set FL180 in alerter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FLC OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT. A TCASII CLB COMMAND LED TO FLC RECOGNITION OF THE ALTDEV AND THE ACFT'S RETURN TO THE ASSIGNED ALT. CTLR QUERIED.
Narrative: CRUISING AT FL310 AND CLRED DIRECT TO MOD FOR MOD 2 ARR TO SFO. ATC CLRED FLT TO FL280. CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT I THOUGHT I HEARD FL180 AND SET FL180 IN ALT ALERTER. AUTOPLT ON. AT APPROX FL283 TCASII BROADCAST A TFC WARN, AND BOTH PLTS WERE VISUALLY LOOKING FOR TFC. AT APPROX FL279, TCASII CALLED FOR CLB AND CAPT DIRECTED LEVEL OFF AT FL280. ACFT DSNDED TO APPROX FL276 BEFORE RETURNING TO FL280. ATC ASKED FOR OUR ALT AND WE RPTED LEVEL AT FL280 AS ACFT HAD ALREADY LEVELED AT FL280. TCASII SHOWED TFC PASSING BELOW US AT FL270. THE MISTAKE WAS SETTING FL180 IN ALT MONITOR. IT SEEMED REASONABLE AS I WAS ALREADY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISTANCE REMAINING TO COMPLY WITH THE ARR ALT AT CEDES INTXN. DSCNT RATE WAS APPROX 2000 FPM AT AN ASSIGNED SPD OF 280 KIAS. A VERBAL AND VISUAL CHK OF THE PROPER ALT SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 330810: ATC CLRED FLT TO FL280. I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT FO SET FL180 IN ALERTER.
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.