Captain, PF, misheard altitude in clearance. Set wrong altitude in altitude alert window and first officer missed the error. As consequence, assigned altitude is overshot.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	436160
Time
Date	199905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dec.vortac
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	436160
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	436279
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At tail end of 11 hour duty day in cruise at FL370 I thought I heard controller request us to descend to FL330. I proceeded to descend to FL330 and upon reaching FL330 ATC handed us off to the next controller. Upon checking in with next controller at FL330, his response was to ask us to repeat our altitude. After repeating we were at FL330 there was silence for about 5 seconds then the controller told us to descend to FL290 and expedite through FL310. This made us believe that we were at wrong altitude and that perhaps first controller had cleared us to FL350 even though I still believe I heard FL330. I believe fatigue was a factor in this incident because of the long duty day having begun when it was daytime and flying through the night and back into the next daytime again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT, PF, MISHEARD ALT IN CLRNC. SET WRONG ALT IN ALT ALERT WINDOW AND FO MISSED THE ERROR. AS CONSEQUENCE, ASSIGNED ALT IS OVERSHOT.

Narrative: AT TAIL END OF 11 HR DUTY DAY IN CRUISE AT FL370 I THOUGHT I HEARD CTLR REQUEST US TO DSND TO FL330. I PROCEEDED TO DSND TO FL330 AND UPON REACHING FL330 ATC HANDED US OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR. UPON CHKING IN WITH NEXT CTLR AT FL330, HIS RESPONSE WAS TO ASK US TO REPEAT OUR ALT. AFTER REPEATING WE WERE AT FL330 THERE WAS SILENCE FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS THEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO FL290 AND EXPEDITE THROUGH FL310. THIS MADE US BELIEVE THAT WE WERE AT WRONG ALT AND THAT PERHAPS FIRST CTLR HAD CLRED US TO FL350 EVEN THOUGH I STILL BELIEVE I HEARD FL330. I BELIEVE FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE LONG DUTY DAY HAVING BEGUN WHEN IT WAS DAYTIME AND FLYING THROUGH THE NIGHT AND BACK INTO THE NEXT DAYTIME AGAIN.

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.