Narrative:

New captain and new first officer (175 hours in A320) were on captain's first flight into sfo in A320. Received ATIS which stated 'charted visual approachs runway 27L/right at sfo. Ord based crew did not know which visual approach to expect due to lack of crew experience at sfo. We loaded the ILS runway 28R approach in the FMGC to be used as a backup for the visual approach. Approaching cedes on the modesto two arrival at 10000 ft, we were cleared by bay approach, direct archi then the FMS bridge visual runway 28R. We loaded the FMS bridge visual runway 28R approach but did not select the cedes transition since we were already cleared to archi. As a result archi, trdow, and garow did not appear on f-pan page of FMGC or navigation display. We typed in archi manually and went direct. We were cleared to descend to 6000 ft. Due to the high workload of trying to get the correct information in the FMGC, the aircraft descended to 5300 ft. I began a climb back to 6000 ft when the controller cleared us to 4000 ft. I made the mistake of not continuing to fly the airplane and became involved in loading the FMGC. We continued an uneventful approach and landing on runway 28R in sfo. Our problem started by not having the correct approach information loaded in the FMGC. The altitude deviation occurred because I failed to properly manage the heavy workload by just continuing to fly the aircraft. In the future, I will try to be better prepared for the approach and will make sure someone is assigned to continue flying the airplane in high workload sits. I learned a lot on this approach and am thankful for a VFR day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME ACR CREW HAS DIFFICULTY WITH FLT MGMNT SYS RESULTING IN DSCNT BELOW CLRED ALT NEAR SFO, CA.

Narrative: NEW CAPT AND NEW FO (175 HRS IN A320) WERE ON CAPT'S FIRST FLT INTO SFO IN A320. RECEIVED ATIS WHICH STATED 'CHARTED VISUAL APCHS RWY 27L/R AT SFO. ORD BASED CREW DID NOT KNOW WHICH VISUAL APCH TO EXPECT DUE TO LACK OF CREW EXPERIENCE AT SFO. WE LOADED THE ILS RWY 28R APCH IN THE FMGC TO BE USED AS A BACKUP FOR THE VISUAL APCH. APCHING CEDES ON THE MODESTO TWO ARR AT 10000 FT, WE WERE CLRED BY BAY APCH, DIRECT ARCHI THEN THE FMS BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R. WE LOADED THE FMS BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R APCH BUT DID NOT SELECT THE CEDES TRANSITION SINCE WE WERE ALREADY CLRED TO ARCHI. AS A RESULT ARCHI, TRDOW, AND GAROW DID NOT APPEAR ON F-PAN PAGE OF FMGC OR NAV DISPLAY. WE TYPED IN ARCHI MANUALLY AND WENT DIRECT. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 6000 FT. DUE TO THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF TRYING TO GET THE CORRECT INFO IN THE FMGC, THE ACFT DSNDED TO 5300 FT. I BEGAN A CLB BACK TO 6000 FT WHEN THE CTLR CLRED US TO 4000 FT. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT CONTINUING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND BECAME INVOLVED IN LOADING THE FMGC. WE CONTINUED AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 28R IN SFO. OUR PROB STARTED BY NOT HAVING THE CORRECT APCH INFO LOADED IN THE FMGC. THE ALTDEV OCCURRED BECAUSE I FAILED TO PROPERLY MANAGE THE HVY WORKLOAD BY JUST CONTINUING TO FLY THE ACFT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL TRY TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR THE APCH AND WILL MAKE SURE SOMEONE IS ASSIGNED TO CONTINUE FLYING THE AIRPLANE IN HIGH WORKLOAD SITS. I LEARNED A LOT ON THIS APCH AND AM THANKFUL FOR A VFR DAY.

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.