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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An air carrier B737-200 flight crew climbs above their assigned altitude while involved in a series of mishaps dealing with their communication equipment. The captain begins corrective action as the controller clears them to a higher altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 361980 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ind |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 361980 |
| 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 : 14500 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 361987 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
First officer flying, climbing through approximately 13000 ft MSL to assigned altitude of 14000 ft MSL on radar vectors from ZID on flight ind- mdw. Captain is PNF, handling radio communications. ZID gave us a heading change and frequency change as aircraft neared 14000 ft. As I, the first officer, leaned forward to change heading bug on HSI, my headset caught on the control yoke and pulled out of my ear partially. I simultaneously noticed captain did not respond to ARTCC communications. As he became aware that he had missed an ATC communication and tried to restore his headset/communication panel operation, I reinserted my headset ear piece and answered ARTCC, as I turned to the new heading. After all this commotion at once we both realized the aircraft altitude was greater than 14000 ft. I leveled at approximately 14300 ft to 14400 ft and began descent to 14000 ft as ATC cleared us to 15000 ft. Human performance considerations: stick to basics -- aviate first, navigation and communicate second. Fast paced aviation environment encourages us to try to do everything at once and lose sight of priority items, and distrs can further complicate matters.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B737-200 FLC CLBS ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHILE INVOLVED IN A SERIES OF MISHAPS DEALING WITH THEIR COM EQUIP. THE CAPT BEGINS CORRECTIVE ACTION AS THE CTLR CLRS THEM TO A HIGHER ALT.
Narrative: FO FLYING, CLBING THROUGH APPROX 13000 FT MSL TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT MSL ON RADAR VECTORS FROM ZID ON FLT IND- MDW. CAPT IS PNF, HANDLING RADIO COMS. ZID GAVE US A HDG CHANGE AND FREQ CHANGE AS ACFT NEARED 14000 FT. AS I, THE FO, LEANED FORWARD TO CHANGE HDG BUG ON HSI, MY HEADSET CAUGHT ON THE CTL YOKE AND PULLED OUT OF MY EAR PARTIALLY. I SIMULTANEOUSLY NOTICED CAPT DID NOT RESPOND TO ARTCC COMS. AS HE BECAME AWARE THAT HE HAD MISSED AN ATC COM AND TRIED TO RESTORE HIS HEADSET/COM PANEL OP, I REINSERTED MY HEADSET EAR PIECE AND ANSWERED ARTCC, AS I TURNED TO THE NEW HDG. AFTER ALL THIS COMMOTION AT ONCE WE BOTH REALIZED THE ACFT ALT WAS GREATER THAN 14000 FT. I LEVELED AT APPROX 14300 FT TO 14400 FT AND BEGAN DSCNT TO 14000 FT AS ATC CLRED US TO 15000 FT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: STICK TO BASICS -- AVIATE FIRST, NAV AND COMMUNICATE SECOND. FAST PACED AVIATION ENVIRONMENT ENCOURAGES US TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE AND LOSE SIGHT OF PRIORITY ITEMS, AND DISTRS CAN FURTHER COMPLICATE MATTERS.
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.