Flight crew of SW4 descended through cleared altitude.

Attributes
ACN	578759
Time
Date	200304
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fca.airport
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Metro Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 8 flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	578759
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent into kalispell, mt, the captain and I were holding a conversation when ATC cleared us to descend to 12000 ft. We acknowledged and began our descent. The captain was explaining something during the descent, and I was listening intently. I looked up to find he had descended to 11700 ft. I alerted the captain to the deviation, and he corrected. As he did so, ATC cleared us to 10000 ft. The captain then reversed his trend again to a descent. ATC asked our altitude, and we replied 11500 ft. He had some doubt as to the accuracy of our report, and we diplomatically explained how we descended through 12000 ft to 11700 ft and corrected. The captain had just flown 25+ legs in the past 3 days and may have been fatigued. The deviation also occurred on the last leg of the day, after he had already flown 6. While we were above 10000 ft for our sterile cockpit policy, we were also too engaged in conversation for the phase of flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF SW4 DSNDED THROUGH CLRED ALT.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO KALISPELL, MT, THE CAPT AND I WERE HOLDING A CONVERSATION WHEN ATC CLRED US TO DSND TO 12000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT. THE CAPT WAS EXPLAINING SOMETHING DURING THE DSCNT, AND I WAS LISTENING INTENTLY. I LOOKED UP TO FIND HE HAD DSNDED TO 11700 FT. I ALERTED THE CAPT TO THE DEV, AND HE CORRECTED. AS HE DID SO, ATC CLRED US TO 10000 FT. THE CAPT THEN REVERSED HIS TREND AGAIN TO A DSCNT. ATC ASKED OUR ALT, AND WE REPLIED 11500 FT. HE HAD SOME DOUBT AS TO THE ACCURACY OF OUR RPT, AND WE DIPLOMATICALLY EXPLAINED HOW WE DSNDED THROUGH 12000 FT TO 11700 FT AND CORRECTED. THE CAPT HAD JUST FLOWN 25+ LEGS IN THE PAST 3 DAYS AND MAY HAVE BEEN FATIGUED. THE DEV ALSO OCCURRED ON THE LAST LEG OF THE DAY, AFTER HE HAD ALREADY FLOWN 6. WHILE WE WERE ABOVE 10000 FT FOR OUR STERILE COCKPIT POLICY, WE WERE ALSO TOO ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION FOR THE PHASE OF 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.