A widebody transport crew overshot a published restr altitude descending into lax.

Attributes
ACN	517858
Time
Date	200107
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15700 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	517858
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for profile descent into lax. Captain selected flight level change and 8000 ft in MCP. 5 mi ahead, restr was 16000 ft or above. I asked captain if he had wanted flight level change or did he really want VNAV or MCP. He said he was ok with flight level change. Passing 16300 ft, I mentioned we still had 5 mi till we could go below 16000 ft. By the time the captain reacted, we had descended to 15700 ft and used vertical speed to correct to 16000 ft. Cause: incorrect msp setting for autoplt, and I should have just said what problem I thought was going to happen instead of trying to be politically correct.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB CREW OVERSHOT A PUBLISHED RESTR ALT DSNDING INTO LAX.

Narrative: CLRED FOR PROFILE DSCNT INTO LAX. CAPT SELECTED FLT LEVEL CHANGE AND 8000 FT IN MCP. 5 MI AHEAD, RESTR WAS 16000 FT OR ABOVE. I ASKED CAPT IF HE HAD WANTED FLT LEVEL CHANGE OR DID HE REALLY WANT VNAV OR MCP. HE SAID HE WAS OK WITH FLT LEVEL CHANGE. PASSING 16300 FT, I MENTIONED WE STILL HAD 5 MI TILL WE COULD GO BELOW 16000 FT. BY THE TIME THE CAPT REACTED, WE HAD DSNDED TO 15700 FT AND USED VERT SPD TO CORRECT TO 16000 FT. CAUSE: INCORRECT MSP SETTING FOR AUTOPLT, AND I SHOULD HAVE JUST SAID WHAT PROB I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT.

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.