A B727 flight crew descended through assigned altitude on arrival to atl.

Attributes
ACN	438570
Time
Date	199905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : atl.vortac
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11600 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	arrival star : rmg
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	438570
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon arrival on rmg STAR atl approach cleared descent from 14000 ft to 12000 ft MSL during descent on autoplt with altitude capture armed. Aircraft began leveloff at 12000 ft but allowed aircraft to descend to 11600 ft. Attempts by captain to force leveloff with autoplt pitch control failed. He disconnected autoplt and returned to assigned altitude. Atl approach queried our altitude. I reported 11600 ft returning to 12000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT ON ARR TO ATL.

Narrative: UPON ARR ON RMG STAR ATL APCH CLRED DSCNT FROM 14000 FT TO 12000 FT MSL DURING DSCNT ON AUTOPLT WITH ALT CAPTURE ARMED. ACFT BEGAN LEVELOFF AT 12000 FT BUT ALLOWED ACFT TO DSND TO 11600 FT. ATTEMPTS BY CAPT TO FORCE LEVELOFF WITH AUTOPLT PITCH CTL FAILED. HE DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND RETURNED TO ASSIGNED ALT. ATL APCH QUERIED OUR ALT. I RPTED 11600 FT RETURNING TO 12000 FT.

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.