<< >> NASA ASRS Report 391856, January 1998

Widebody transport overshot assigned altitude on descent due to not monitoring autoplt leveloff at the preselected altitude.

Attributes
ACN	391856
Time
Date	199801
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4600 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 405
ASRS Report	391856
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	391780
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Last leg on 3 day trip. On extended flap for runway 19R due to WX. After numerous vectors off approach and back on, we were given descent from 6000 ft to 5000 ft. PNF (captain) set 5000 ft in window, and both pilots pointed and confirmed. Altitude arm light was on. I noticed we were a couple hundred ft to level off and turned to rechk my engineer panel. When I turned back I noticed we had descended below (passing 4900 ft) 5000 ft. As I started to say something the captain called out the deviation. The first officer made a smooth recovery to 5000 ft, but the aircraft went down to approximately 4600 ft. ATC did not say anything during or after the deviation. In retrospect I should have monitored the pilots throughout the descent and leveloff, instead of trusting the autoplt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT ON DSCNT DUE TO NOT MONITORING AUTOPLT LEVELOFF AT THE PRESELECTED ALT.

Narrative: LAST LEG ON 3 DAY TRIP. ON EXTENDED FLAP FOR RWY 19R DUE TO WX. AFTER NUMEROUS VECTORS OFF APCH AND BACK ON, WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT FROM 6000 FT TO 5000 FT. PNF (CAPT) SET 5000 FT IN WINDOW, AND BOTH PLTS POINTED AND CONFIRMED. ALT ARM LIGHT WAS ON. I NOTICED WE WERE A COUPLE HUNDRED FT TO LEVEL OFF AND TURNED TO RECHK MY ENGINEER PANEL. WHEN I TURNED BACK I NOTICED WE HAD DSNDED BELOW (PASSING 4900 FT) 5000 FT. AS I STARTED TO SAY SOMETHING THE CAPT CALLED OUT THE DEV. THE FO MADE A SMOOTH RECOVERY TO 5000 FT, BUT THE ACFT WENT DOWN TO APPROX 4600 FT. ATC DID NOT SAY ANYTHING DURING OR AFTER THE DEV. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE PLTS THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT AND LEVELOFF, INSTEAD OF TRUSTING THE AUTOPLT.

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.