Flight crew of B747-200 missed intermediate leveloff altitude resulting in altitude deviation at N90...

Attributes
ACN	427000
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cfb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	427000
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was filling in the ETA's on the flight plan. We were given an intermediate leveloff of 17000 ft and told to expect higher in a few mins. The captain was flying the aircraft. I became aware of the situation passing through 17400 ft as the copilot told the captain that we were only cleared to 17000 ft. He reversed the climb by 17600 ft and descended down to 17000 ft. Center called and asked what our altitude was passing 17300 ft. The copilot replied 'leveling at 17000 ft.' I don't know if the copilot and pilot made their 2000 ft and 1000 ft to go calls. The captain was apparently not paying attention and the copilot assumed he was going to level at 17000 ft because the captain acknowledged the 2000 ft and 1000 ft warning calls.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B747-200 MISSED INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFF ALT RESULTING IN ALTDEV AT N90.

Narrative: I WAS FILLING IN THE ETA'S ON THE FLT PLAN. WE WERE GIVEN AN INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFF OF 17000 FT AND TOLD TO EXPECT HIGHER IN A FEW MINS. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. I BECAME AWARE OF THE SIT PASSING THROUGH 17400 FT AS THE COPLT TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 17000 FT. HE REVERSED THE CLB BY 17600 FT AND DSNDED DOWN TO 17000 FT. CTR CALLED AND ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS PASSING 17300 FT. THE COPLT REPLIED 'LEVELING AT 17000 FT.' I DON'T KNOW IF THE COPLT AND PLT MADE THEIR 2000 FT AND 1000 FT TO GO CALLS. THE CAPT WAS APPARENTLY NOT PAYING ATTN AND THE COPLT ASSUMED HE WAS GOING TO LEVEL AT 17000 FT BECAUSE THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE 2000 FT AND 1000 FT WARNING CALLS.

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.