Narrative:

We were cleared to descend to 6000 MSL while talking to mem approach control when copilot failed to make mandatory call of '7000 ft for 6000 ft.' while on descent, I made the call, and he acknowledged. Then, as all 3 of us (captain, first officer, so) sat in silence, we missed level off at 6000 ft, and I caught it at 5600-5700 ft MSL. I disconnected the autoplt and returned to 6000 ft MSL. We had been flying an altitude automatic capture airplane all week, until this night. Obviously, we had become somewhat dependent on its leveling the airplane. But, most importantly, 3 professional and competent pilots were highly fatigued at the end of a long week of back side of the clock flying, and failed to notice. Supplemental information from acn 580944: the altitude alert aural/light warning did not activate at 6300 ft. However, it did activate at 5300 ft MSL, and the captain immediately corrected the momentary deviation. The recovery into memphis is very busy and demanding. This busy environment coupled with some fatigue and the alerter problems resulted in the momentary deviations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 CARGO FLT CREW OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE ALT AUTO CAPTURE FAILS TO LEVEL THE ACFT AT 6000 FT 25 NE OF MEM, TN.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 6000 MSL WHILE TALKING TO MEM APCH CTL WHEN COPLT FAILED TO MAKE MANDATORY CALL OF '7000 FT FOR 6000 FT.' WHILE ON DSCNT, I MADE THE CALL, AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN, AS ALL 3 OF US (CAPT, FO, SO) SAT IN SILENCE, WE MISSED LEVEL OFF AT 6000 FT, AND I CAUGHT IT AT 5600-5700 FT MSL. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND RETURNED TO 6000 FT MSL. WE HAD BEEN FLYING AN ALT AUTO CAPTURE AIRPLANE ALL WK, UNTIL THIS NIGHT. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD BECOME SOMEWHAT DEPENDENT ON ITS LEVELING THE AIRPLANE. BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY, 3 PROFESSIONAL AND COMPETENT PLTS WERE HIGHLY FATIGUED AT THE END OF A LONG WK OF BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK FLYING, AND FAILED TO NOTICE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 580944: THE ALT ALERT AURAL/LIGHT WARNING DID NOT ACTIVATE AT 6300 FT. HOWEVER, IT DID ACTIVATE AT 5300 FT MSL, AND THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED THE MOMENTARY DEV. THE RECOVERY INTO MEMPHIS IS VERY BUSY AND DEMANDING. THIS BUSY ENVIRONMENT COUPLED WITH SOME FATIGUE AND THE ALERTER PROBS RESULTED IN THE MOMENTARY DEVS.

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.