An MD90 first officer, PF, enters the wrong altitude into the altitude alerter and the aircraft desc...

Attributes
ACN	407800
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ffu airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12700 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	407800
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were returning to slc from phx when center said they were turning the airport around. Our new clearance was direct ffu, direct slc. My first officer programmed the route and we realized it would take us through an area of numerous towering cumulus clouds. We were given a clearance to cross 20 DME out of ffu at 15000 ft, 250 KTS, altimeter 30.06, which I wrote down and read back correctly. I got clearance to deviate left and right of course and my first officer programmed the fix and restr in the FMS. We then got a restr to slow to 270 KTS. My first officer had incorrectly programmed 12000 ft instead of 15000 ft. He put 12000 ft in the altitude window (and I confirmed it). We had also been uplinked with an alternate and fuel burn numbers from our dispatcher. We received gate connections which we passed to the flight attendants, along with briefing an approach to the new runway, ran a descent checklist, etc. We had been cruising at 31000 ft all set and within a 5-10 min period it had gotten real busy with only 2 pilots. We were concerned that we might not get down, so we had out full flight spoilers. So many numbers, so little time. From the time he had incorrectly typed 12000 ft, we were both sure that was where we wanted to go. All the while the correct 15000 ft was written right in front of me on my scratch pad. Center asked our altitude and I said, 'passing 12700 ft for 12000 ft.' he then said we were cleared to 15000 ft. I asked if he wanted us to climb back to 15000 ft. He said, 'no stay at 12000 ft.' no traffic conflicts. No terrain conflicts. Two very humble pilots.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD90 FO, PF, ENTERS THE WRONG ALT INTO THE ALT ALERTER AND THE ACFT DSNDS THROUGH ITS ASSIGNED ALT OF 15000 FT NEAR SLC, UT.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING TO SLC FROM PHX WHEN CTR SAID THEY WERE TURNING THE ARPT AROUND. OUR NEW CLRNC WAS DIRECT FFU, DIRECT SLC. MY FO PROGRAMMED THE RTE AND WE REALIZED IT WOULD TAKE US THROUGH AN AREA OF NUMEROUS TOWERING CUMULUS CLOUDS. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS 20 DME OUT OF FFU AT 15000 FT, 250 KTS, ALTIMETER 30.06, WHICH I WROTE DOWN AND READ BACK CORRECTLY. I GOT CLRNC TO DEVIATE L AND R OF COURSE AND MY FO PROGRAMMED THE FIX AND RESTR IN THE FMS. WE THEN GOT A RESTR TO SLOW TO 270 KTS. MY FO HAD INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED 12000 FT INSTEAD OF 15000 FT. HE PUT 12000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW (AND I CONFIRMED IT). WE HAD ALSO BEEN UPLINKED WITH AN ALTERNATE AND FUEL BURN NUMBERS FROM OUR DISPATCHER. WE RECEIVED GATE CONNECTIONS WHICH WE PASSED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS, ALONG WITH BRIEFING AN APCH TO THE NEW RWY, RAN A DSCNT CHKLIST, ETC. WE HAD BEEN CRUISING AT 31000 FT ALL SET AND WITHIN A 5-10 MIN PERIOD IT HAD GOTTEN REAL BUSY WITH ONLY 2 PLTS. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT WE MIGHT NOT GET DOWN, SO WE HAD OUT FULL FLT SPOILERS. SO MANY NUMBERS, SO LITTLE TIME. FROM THE TIME HE HAD INCORRECTLY TYPED 12000 FT, WE WERE BOTH SURE THAT WAS WHERE WE WANTED TO GO. ALL THE WHILE THE CORRECT 15000 FT WAS WRITTEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME ON MY SCRATCH PAD. CTR ASKED OUR ALT AND I SAID, 'PASSING 12700 FT FOR 12000 FT.' HE THEN SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT. I ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO CLB BACK TO 15000 FT. HE SAID, 'NO STAY AT 12000 FT.' NO TFC CONFLICTS. NO TERRAIN CONFLICTS. TWO VERY HUMBLE PLTS.

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.

An MD90 first officer, PF, enters the wrong altitude into the altitude alerter and the aircraft descends through its assigned altitude of 15000 ft near slc, ut.