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SA226 aircraft in descent for crossing restr, PF, first officer misunderstood altitude and continued descent through assigned until captain noticed and told first officer. ATC issued new altitude clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 357398 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199701 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mia |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7800 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | SA-226 TC Metro II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zma |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 6200 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 357398 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We had been cleared by ZMA to cross junur intersection at 9000 ft. My first officer was the PF. He started the descent from our cruising altitude of 14000 ft at 30 NM from junur. As we were descending through 11000 ft he called for descent checklist. At that point I decided to balance the fuel load. So I opened the fuel xflow valve and monitored the fuel xfer in progress. My attention was directed to the xflow switch and fuel quantity indicators. When I looked up again, we were passing through 7800 ft. I called the altitude deviation to my flight officer to which he replied, 'I thought we were cleared to 7000 ft.' we started the correction and advised ATC about it. ATC then cleared us to maintain 8000 ft. Contributing factors: first officer confusion about assigned altitude. Aircraft does not have an altitude alert system. Captain diverted attention. Fatigue.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SA226 ACFT IN DSCNT FOR XING RESTR, PF, FO MISUNDERSTOOD ALT AND CONTINUED DSCNT THROUGH ASSIGNED UNTIL CAPT NOTICED AND TOLD FO. ATC ISSUED NEW ALT CLRNC.
Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED BY ZMA TO CROSS JUNUR INTXN AT 9000 FT. MY FO WAS THE PF. HE STARTED THE DSCNT FROM OUR CRUISING ALT OF 14000 FT AT 30 NM FROM JUNUR. AS WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 11000 FT HE CALLED FOR DSCNT CHKLIST. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO BAL THE FUEL LOAD. SO I OPENED THE FUEL XFLOW VALVE AND MONITORED THE FUEL XFER IN PROGRESS. MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO THE XFLOW SWITCH AND FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS. WHEN I LOOKED UP AGAIN, WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 7800 FT. I CALLED THE ALTDEV TO MY FLT OFFICER TO WHICH HE REPLIED, 'I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO 7000 FT.' WE STARTED THE CORRECTION AND ADVISED ATC ABOUT IT. ATC THEN CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FO CONFUSION ABOUT ASSIGNED ALT. ACFT DOES NOT HAVE AN ALT ALERT SYS. CAPT DIVERTED ATTN. FATIGUE.
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.