Single pilot in a BE20 is descending to 13000 ft and then given descent to 12000 ft. Pilot acknowled...

Attributes
ACN	416730
Time
Date	199810
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : saf airport : saf
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12300 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Super King Air 200/Huron
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 93 flight time total : 11599 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	416730
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZAB cleared me to 13000 ft. Set alerter and continued descent. In the meantime, I was given traffic to follow into saf. Kept looking for traffic and inquiring about its position. When ZAB cleared me for further descent to 12000 ft, I looked at altimeter to report passing altitude only to realize I had passed 13000 ft without leveling. Immediately confess my mistake and level at 12000 ft. In the midst of all the communication and looking for traffic I had missed hearing altitude alert at 14000 ft and 12750 ft! In addition, I had failed to arm altitude select on autoplt. Since we are a single pilot operation, it is normal to use the autoplt to its fullest capabilities. This is especially true in terminal areas. Even with active noise canceling headset I missed the alerter tone. Sperry/honeywell has elected to use a high frequency beep instead of a more distinctive tone and we will investigate changing that. Does loss of hearing in higher frequency range over time have any effect? Who knows. This is a heads up call to aviate then communicate. We will install egpws and TCASII within 6 months.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT IN A BE20 IS DSNDING TO 13000 FT AND THEN GIVEN DSCNT TO 12000 FT. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC AND REALIZES THAT HE HAD ALREADY DSNDED THROUGH 13000 FT. PLT LEVELED AT 12000 FT AND CONFESSES HIS MISTAKE.

Narrative: ZAB CLRED ME TO 13000 FT. SET ALERTER AND CONTINUED DSCNT. IN THE MEANTIME, I WAS GIVEN TFC TO FOLLOW INTO SAF. KEPT LOOKING FOR TFC AND INQUIRING ABOUT ITS POS. WHEN ZAB CLRED ME FOR FURTHER DSCNT TO 12000 FT, I LOOKED AT ALTIMETER TO RPT PASSING ALT ONLY TO REALIZE I HAD PASSED 13000 FT WITHOUT LEVELING. IMMEDIATELY CONFESS MY MISTAKE AND LEVEL AT 12000 FT. IN THE MIDST OF ALL THE COM AND LOOKING FOR TFC I HAD MISSED HEARING ALT ALERT AT 14000 FT AND 12750 FT! IN ADDITION, I HAD FAILED TO ARM ALT SELECT ON AUTOPLT. SINCE WE ARE A SINGLE PLT OP, IT IS NORMAL TO USE THE AUTOPLT TO ITS FULLEST CAPABILITIES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN TERMINAL AREAS. EVEN WITH ACTIVE NOISE CANCELING HEADSET I MISSED THE ALERTER TONE. SPERRY/HONEYWELL HAS ELECTED TO USE A HIGH FREQ BEEP INSTEAD OF A MORE DISTINCTIVE TONE AND WE WILL INVESTIGATE CHANGING THAT. DOES LOSS OF HEARING IN HIGHER FREQ RANGE OVER TIME HAVE ANY EFFECT? WHO KNOWS. THIS IS A HEADS UP CALL TO AVIATE THEN COMMUNICATE. WE WILL INSTALL EGPWS AND TCASII WITHIN 6 MONTHS.

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.

Single pilot in a BE20 is descending to 13000 ft and then given descent to 12000 ft. Pilot acknowledged clearance and realizes that he had already descended through 13000 ft. Pilot leveled at 12000 ft and confesses his mistake.