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B737-200 flight crew altitude bust when distracted while looking for traffic pointed out by center controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 367110 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199704 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : msy |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu |
| 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 other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 11000 |
| ASRS Report | 367110 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 367215 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 27000 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
On climb out from msy, ZHU cleared us to 17000 ft and called traffic at the 2 O'clock position. First officer located the traffic and called it in sight. Captain was flying the aircraft and called the traffic in sight. Both pilots visually followed the traffic until the altitude warning horn sounded at approximately 17300+/- ft where a leveloff and descent was initiated. Neither pilot recalls hearing the altitude warning horn approaching 17000 ft. As descent was initiated, a TCASII TA sounded, traffic was noted at the 5 mi ring on the 15 mi scale. No RA sounded. Estimated highest altitude reached was approximately 17500+/- ft. Smooth descent was made back to 17000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 367215: I do not recall hearing a 1000 ft warning horn. It is possible that the traffic radio call came simultaneously with the altitude alert. A greater attention to detail may have prevented this.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-200 FLC ALT BUST WHEN DISTRACTED WHILE LOOKING FOR TFC POINTED OUT BY CTR CTLR.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM MSY, ZHU CLRED US TO 17000 FT AND CALLED TFC AT THE 2 O'CLOCK POS. FO LOCATED THE TFC AND CALLED IT IN SIGHT. CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT. BOTH PLTS VISUALLY FOLLOWED THE TFC UNTIL THE ALT WARNING HORN SOUNDED AT APPROX 17300+/- FT WHERE A LEVELOFF AND DSCNT WAS INITIATED. NEITHER PLT RECALLS HEARING THE ALT WARNING HORN APCHING 17000 FT. AS DSCNT WAS INITIATED, A TCASII TA SOUNDED, TFC WAS NOTED AT THE 5 MI RING ON THE 15 MI SCALE. NO RA SOUNDED. ESTIMATED HIGHEST ALT REACHED WAS APPROX 17500+/- FT. SMOOTH DSCNT WAS MADE BACK TO 17000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 367215: I DO NOT RECALL HEARING A 1000 FT WARNING HORN. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TFC RADIO CALL CAME SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE ALT ALERT. A GREATER ATTN TO DETAIL MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS.
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.