A B737-500 descending into iah, tx, overshot assigned altitude during leveloff.

Attributes
ACN	379596
Time
Date	199709
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9740 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	379596
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
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 other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On iah coast 2 arrival, ATC cleared us to 'descend via coast 2' but we were far too high and advised ATC. They gave us a vector then returned us to descend via coast 2 again. Then we were handed over to another controller who took us off the coast 2 again. However, we continued to descend when we should have stopped and leveled off at 10000 ft. We caught our mistake at 9800 ft at the same time the controller asked about our altitude. We returned to 10000 ft after stopping descent at 9740 ft. Moral: fly the aircraft first and ask, ask, ask if there is any doubt about anything.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 DSNDING INTO IAH, TX, OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING LEVELOFF.

Narrative: ON IAH COAST 2 ARR, ATC CLRED US TO 'DSND VIA COAST 2' BUT WE WERE FAR TOO HIGH AND ADVISED ATC. THEY GAVE US A VECTOR THEN RETURNED US TO DSND VIA COAST 2 AGAIN. THEN WE WERE HANDED OVER TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO TOOK US OFF THE COAST 2 AGAIN. HOWEVER, WE CONTINUED TO DSND WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT. WE CAUGHT OUR MISTAKE AT 9800 FT AT THE SAME TIME THE CTLR ASKED ABOUT OUR ALT. WE RETURNED TO 10000 FT AFTER STOPPING DSCNT AT 9740 FT. MORAL: FLY THE ACFT FIRST AND ASK, ASK, ASK IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT ANYTHING.

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.