Captain of an air carrier 3 engine widebody transport allowed a company employee to fly the aircraft from the right seat during cruise flight resulting in an altitude excursion from assigned.

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Attributes
ACN	449328
Time
Date	199909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	449328
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : clearance non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Allowed company employee to fly the aircraft from the right seat during cruise. Flight director on, autoplt on. He did a nice job for quite a few mins, but I looked down to adjust the INS flight plan and during that time he deviated 400 ft above our cleared altitude. I then immediately took back control of the aircraft and had him leave the seat. The first officer had gone to the back. In the future with any such occurrences, I'll have the first officer watch, so that even if I am distraction, the situation is always closely monitored and will be corrected before any deviation exceeds normal parameters.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR 3 ENG WDB ALLOWED A COMPANY EMPLOYEE TO FLY THE ACFT FROM THE R SEAT DURING CRUISE FLT RESULTING IN AN ALT EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED.

Narrative: ALLOWED COMPANY EMPLOYEE TO FLY THE ACFT FROM THE R SEAT DURING CRUISE. FLT DIRECTOR ON, AUTOPLT ON. HE DID A NICE JOB FOR QUITE A FEW MINS, BUT I LOOKED DOWN TO ADJUST THE INS FLT PLAN AND DURING THAT TIME HE DEVIATED 400 FT ABOVE OUR CLRED ALT. I THEN IMMEDIATELY TOOK BACK CTL OF THE ACFT AND HAD HIM LEAVE THE SEAT. THE FO HAD GONE TO THE BACK. IN THE FUTURE WITH ANY SUCH OCCURRENCES, I'LL HAVE THE FO WATCH, SO THAT EVEN IF I AM DISTR, THE SIT IS ALWAYS CLOSELY MONITORED AND WILL BE CORRECTED BEFORE ANY DEV EXCEEDS NORMAL PARAMETERS.

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.