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A B737-300 overshoots its assigned altitude while both pilots were looking for traffic as pointed out by approach controller at sea, wa.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 431000 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : sea.vortac |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4700 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 431000 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1750 |
| ASRS Report | 431002 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to original clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach to sea airport, while looking for traffic on final, we descended 300 ft below our assigned altitude. We corrected immediately back to the correct altitude. No conflict occurred. A scan back into the cockpit could have prevented the event. Supplemental information from acn 431002: we were on a dogleg visual vector to final for sea runway 16R and sea approach. Called out traffic to be followed. As PNF, I was looking outside to visually acquire target as captain was descending from 6000 ft to 5000 ft as cleared. After acquiring target, I called it to the captain, who had approximately 300 ft to go in his leveloff. As he looked outside to find the other aircraft, we descended to approximately 4700 ft before we both noticed the deviation. No conflict occurred, nor did sea approach question/comment on the deviation. A reminder to the captain of the impending leveloff before I called the traffic and a xref inside the cockpit would have certainly helped avoid the deviation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 OVERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHILE BOTH PLTS WERE LOOKING FOR TFC AS POINTED OUT BY APCH CTLR AT SEA, WA.
Narrative: ON APCH TO SEA ARPT, WHILE LOOKING FOR TFC ON FINAL, WE DSNDED 300 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. WE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY BACK TO THE CORRECT ALT. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. A SCAN BACK INTO THE COCKPIT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 431002: WE WERE ON A DOGLEG VISUAL VECTOR TO FINAL FOR SEA RWY 16R AND SEA APCH. CALLED OUT TFC TO BE FOLLOWED. AS PNF, I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE TARGET AS CAPT WAS DSNDING FROM 6000 FT TO 5000 FT AS CLRED. AFTER ACQUIRING TARGET, I CALLED IT TO THE CAPT, WHO HAD APPROX 300 FT TO GO IN HIS LEVELOFF. AS HE LOOKED OUTSIDE TO FIND THE OTHER ACFT, WE DSNDED TO APPROX 4700 FT BEFORE WE BOTH NOTICED THE DEV. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED, NOR DID SEA APCH QUESTION/COMMENT ON THE DEV. A REMINDER TO THE CAPT OF THE IMPENDING LEVELOFF BEFORE I CALLED THE TFC AND A XREF INSIDE THE COCKPIT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY HELPED AVOID THE DEV.
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.