A descending B757 overshoots its assigned altitude when the solo captain misreads the altitude assignment. Controller missed the wrong altitude readback resulting in a loss of separation with opposite direction traffic. First officer was in the blue room. ZKC.

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Attributes
ACN	460458
Time
Date	200001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : keokk
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc tower : bdl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	460458
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	460644
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

With first officer in lavatory, captain understood and read back 'descend to cross keokk at FL230.' several mins later, reported out of FL410 for FL230. As the first officer was returning, I told him our clearance to cross keokk at FL230. Just then we got an RA and center called at same time. Complied with RA but were about FL320 by then. We had visual and also turned some. We were then past the traffic and cleared to FL290. Supplemental information from acn 460644: as I was getting into the seat, the TCASII alerted to traffic at 11:30 O'clock position and 1800 ft below us. The captain saw the traffic and leveled the aircraft and turned to the right. When I got my headset on, I heard the controller say we were cleared to FL330 and read back FL230.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING B757 OVERSHOOTS ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE SOLO CAPT MISREADS THE ALT ASSIGNMENT. CTLR MISSED THE WRONG ALT READBACK RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC. FO WAS IN THE BLUE ROOM. ZKC.

Narrative: WITH FO IN LAVATORY, CAPT UNDERSTOOD AND READ BACK 'DSND TO CROSS KEOKK AT FL230.' SEVERAL MINS LATER, RPTED OUT OF FL410 FOR FL230. AS THE FO WAS RETURNING, I TOLD HIM OUR CLRNC TO CROSS KEOKK AT FL230. JUST THEN WE GOT AN RA AND CTR CALLED AT SAME TIME. COMPLIED WITH RA BUT WERE ABOUT FL320 BY THEN. WE HAD VISUAL AND ALSO TURNED SOME. WE WERE THEN PAST THE TFC AND CLRED TO FL290. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 460644: AS I WAS GETTING INTO THE SEAT, THE TCASII ALERTED TO TFC AT 11:30 O'CLOCK POS AND 1800 FT BELOW US. THE CAPT SAW THE TFC AND LEVELED THE ACFT AND TURNED TO THE R. WHEN I GOT MY HEADSET ON, I HEARD THE CTLR SAY WE WERE CLRED TO FL330 AND READ BACK FL230.

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.