Light transport descended through assigned altitude of 4000 ft. They got to 3500 ft. ATC then cleare...

Attributes
ACN	365650
Time
Date	199704
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	365650
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

WX at lax was clear with 50% sky coverage starting about 15 mi east of airport. We were vectored heading 250 degrees to parallel traffic on runway 25L localizer. We were cleared to 4000 ft and asked to look for traffic at 2-3 O'clock, expect visual approach clearance when traffic in sight. Both crew members became distracted looking for traffic and airport. We flew through the 4000 ft altitude, caught our error at 3500 ft and started to correct to 4000 ft. ATC asked us to confirm our altitude we responded that we were correcting back to 4000 ft. ATC then told us to maintain 3000 ft. We did so and about that time we spotted the traffic and the airport. Visual approach clearance was given and we followed traffic to the airport. We became so focused on trying to spot our traffic that we flew through our altitude. Had ATC slowed us or vectored us earlier to follow, instead of paralleling the traffic it would have been uneventful. This situation with constant ATC queries as to our visual acquisition of the traffic made the situation ripe for loss of situational awareness.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT. THEY GOT TO 3500 FT. ATC THEN CLRED THEM TO 3000 FT.

Narrative: WX AT LAX WAS CLR WITH 50% SKY COVERAGE STARTING ABOUT 15 MI E OF ARPT. WE WERE VECTORED HDG 250 DEGS TO PARALLEL TFC ON RWY 25L LOC. WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT AND ASKED TO LOOK FOR TFC AT 2-3 O'CLOCK, EXPECT VISUAL APCH CLRNC WHEN TFC IN SIGHT. BOTH CREW MEMBERS BECAME DISTRACTED LOOKING FOR TFC AND ARPT. WE FLEW THROUGH THE 4000 FT ALT, CAUGHT OUR ERROR AT 3500 FT AND STARTED TO CORRECT TO 4000 FT. ATC ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ALT WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE CORRECTING BACK TO 4000 FT. ATC THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. WE DID SO AND ABOUT THAT TIME WE SPOTTED THE TFC AND THE ARPT. VISUAL APCH CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND WE FOLLOWED TFC TO THE ARPT. WE BECAME SO FOCUSED ON TRYING TO SPOT OUR TFC THAT WE FLEW THROUGH OUR ALT. HAD ATC SLOWED US OR VECTORED US EARLIER TO FOLLOW, INSTEAD OF PARALLELING THE TFC IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNEVENTFUL. THIS SIT WITH CONSTANT ATC QUERIES AS TO OUR VISUAL ACQUISITION OF THE TFC MADE THE SIT RIPE FOR LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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.

Light transport descended through assigned altitude of 4000 ft. They got to 3500 ft. ATC then cleared them to 3000 ft.