A B744 crew, descending into bombay (vabb), overshot their assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	533278
Time
Date	200112
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vabb.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 2600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 19700 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	533278
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was cleared to 2600 ft MSL. Captain was flying and had disengaged autoplt at about 3000 ft. He was hand flying the aircraft and descended to 2200 ft when approach control asked him why he was not at 2600 ft as previously cleared. He then climbed back up to 2600 ft. The approach was flown to a normal landing with no other problems. We were flying day 3 of a 6 day trip with the first leg being delayed by 6 hours. We left detroit at XF00 am instead of XA20 pm. Our sleep pattern had been totally messed up by the time we left ams for bombay. Had we left the autoplt on the altitude incursion would not have occurred. Being tired, and this being only his second time flying into bombay, and this being an 'elective airplane' it would have been a wise decision to have utilized all available safeguards for the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B744 CREW, DSNDING INTO BOMBAY (VABB), OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED TO 2600 FT MSL. CAPT WAS FLYING AND HAD DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AT ABOUT 3000 FT. HE WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND DSNDED TO 2200 FT WHEN APCH CTL ASKED HIM WHY HE WAS NOT AT 2600 FT AS PREVIOUSLY CLRED. HE THEN CLBED BACK UP TO 2600 FT. THE APCH WAS FLOWN TO A NORMAL LNDG WITH NO OTHER PROBS. WE WERE FLYING DAY 3 OF A 6 DAY TRIP WITH THE FIRST LEG BEING DELAYED BY 6 HRS. WE LEFT DETROIT AT XF00 AM INSTEAD OF XA20 PM. OUR SLEEP PATTERN HAD BEEN TOTALLY MESSED UP BY THE TIME WE LEFT AMS FOR BOMBAY. HAD WE LEFT THE AUTOPLT ON THE ALT INCURSION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. BEING TIRED, AND THIS BEING ONLY HIS SECOND TIME FLYING INTO BOMBAY, AND THIS BEING AN 'ELECTIVE AIRPLANE' IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WISE DECISION TO HAVE UTILIZED ALL AVAILABLE SAFEGUARDS FOR THE FLT.

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.