<< >> NASA ASRS Report 546031, April 2002

B737 descending into london, england, overshoots intermediate flight level due to both crew members and the controller not giving, hearing or correcting the flight crew's readback.

Attributes
ACN	546031
Time
Date	200204
Day	Sat
Place
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10600 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : egtt.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 13903 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	546031
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	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was inbound to london stansted for landing. During this period we were controled by london. Aircraft was cleared to FL110 to which first officer responded to ATC FL110. I, as PF, 'heard' FL100 and entered into aircraft's MCP. Having done so, I confirmed my setting of FL100 to the first officer -- both aurally and visually -- by pointing to the selected altitude and getting a position confirmation. I initiated descent and at FL106 was questioned by london on altitude descending to. I replied 'FL100' and ATC replied I was cleared to FL110, to which I immediately returned. The situation was a cockpit altitude discerning problem. On speaking with the controller later, he informed me that FL110 and FL100 were the altitudes of most frequent errors in altdevs. This seems to indicate that another way of verbally assigning these altitudes would be in the interest of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 DSNDING INTO LONDON, ENGLAND, OVERSHOOTS INTERMEDIATE FLT LEVEL DUE TO BOTH CREW MEMBERS AND THE CTLR NOT GIVING, HEARING OR CORRECTING THE FLC'S READBACK.

Narrative: ACFT WAS INBOUND TO LONDON STANSTED FOR LNDG. DURING THIS PERIOD WE WERE CTLED BY LONDON. ACFT WAS CLRED TO FL110 TO WHICH FO RESPONDED TO ATC FL110. I, AS PF, 'HEARD' FL100 AND ENTERED INTO ACFT'S MCP. HAVING DONE SO, I CONFIRMED MY SETTING OF FL100 TO THE FO -- BOTH AURALLY AND VISUALLY -- BY POINTING TO THE SELECTED ALT AND GETTING A POS CONFIRMATION. I INITIATED DSCNT AND AT FL106 WAS QUESTIONED BY LONDON ON ALT DSNDING TO. I REPLIED 'FL100' AND ATC REPLIED I WAS CLRED TO FL110, TO WHICH I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED. THE SIT WAS A COCKPIT ALT DISCERNING PROB. ON SPEAKING WITH THE CTLR LATER, HE INFORMED ME THAT FL110 AND FL100 WERE THE ALTS OF MOST FREQUENT ERRORS IN ALTDEVS. THIS SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT ANOTHER WAY OF VERBALLY ASSIGNING THESE ALTS WOULD BE IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.

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.