Narrative:

New captain, brand new first officer. Cleared for the visual to mco runway 17, cross 9 DME at or above 2500 ft MSL. B737-200 on autoplt, first officer armed approach mode. Nearing 2500 ft, autoplt captured GS from one half DOT high and made an aggressive correction to one half to three quarters DOT below GS. I was doing the final items on the approach checklist and did not notice the maneuver until we were passing 2300 ft MSL. We crossed 9 DME at approximately 2120 ft MSL. First officer made no attempt to correct because he did not really grasp the difference between a visual approach clearance with a restr versus ILS approach. No conflict, no complaint from approach, just a busted altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A B737-200 DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED XING ALT DURING DSCNT FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE RPTING CAPT BELIEVED THAT THE FACT THAT HE WAS A NEW CAPT AND A NEW FO HELPED TO CAUSE THIS ERROR.

Narrative: NEW CAPT, BRAND NEW FO. CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO MCO RWY 17, CROSS 9 DME AT OR ABOVE 2500 FT MSL. B737-200 ON AUTOPLT, FO ARMED APCH MODE. NEARING 2500 FT, AUTOPLT CAPTURED GS FROM ONE HALF DOT HIGH AND MADE AN AGGRESSIVE CORRECTION TO ONE HALF TO THREE QUARTERS DOT BELOW GS. I WAS DOING THE FINAL ITEMS ON THE APCH CHKLIST AND DID NOT NOTICE THE MANEUVER UNTIL WE WERE PASSING 2300 FT MSL. WE CROSSED 9 DME AT APPROX 2120 FT MSL. FO MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT BECAUSE HE DID NOT REALLY GRASP THE DIFFERENCE BTWN A VISUAL APCH CLRNC WITH A RESTR VERSUS ILS APCH. NO CONFLICT, NO COMPLAINT FROM APCH, JUST A BUSTED ALT.

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.