Narrative:

We had planned a 300 KT managed descent for the civet 5 arrival in lax to land runway 25R; and I had emphasized the arrival altitudes during the arrival briefing; because both the first officer and I hadn't done the civet in a while. During the managed descent; while leveling off at FL240; with the computer showing us right on the managed profile; we were switched from ZLA to socal approach; checked in; and they immediately told us to slow to 270 KIAS; then descend to cross gramm and FL180 and 270 KIAS. Because of our managed descent profile; we were suddenly too high and too fast; with the blue 'hockey stick' showing us that we would not make the altitude at gramm; in fact the managed speed 'stick' predicted us reaching FL180 about 10 mi past gramm. I pulled for open descent; and immediately selected 1/2 flight spoilers; and then increased the drag to full flight spoilers when it appeared that 1/2 wasn't going to do it. As we were passing through about FL200; socal told us that we were going to have our runway changed to runway 24R from runway 25R; and to expect direct skoll in a min. My first officer went heads down to program the box. At FL195; because of the full speed brakes (this was an A319; and full speed brakes on it is actually a little less than 1/2 speed brakes on a A320); the autoplt 'captured' FL180; and started the infamous airbus 'soft' leveloff; which I saw was not going to get us to FL180 by gramm. Instead of getting relief from ATC like I should have; I clicked off the autoplt and pushed the nose over; planning to hand-level off right at FL180. Just then for some reason; I suddenly had in my mind that we were to level off at 17000 ft instead of FL180. During my descent brief; I had emphasized the altitudes on the arrival; and the altitude constraint for gramm was from FL190 to 17000 ft. I guess for whatever reason my mind fixed on that wrong altitude. Because my first officer was heads down programming the box; he didn't call '1000 ft;' when we were within 1000 ft of FL180 (not his fault; this was all me); in fact right as all this was happening socal gave us a heading off the SID for 'spacing' and my first officer responded to the call; and gave me that new heading (220 degrees; I think; about a 20 degree turn to the left); needless to say; in my effort to get down to what I thought was my cleared altitude; I blew right through FL180. The altitude warning horn sounded passing 17750 as it was supposed to; but I must have thought it was the warning horn saying that the autoplt was not on and the aircraft was within 750 ft of the leveloff altitude. My first officer looked up from the box; screamed out 'altitude; get back up to 18;' I responded immediately after realizing what a stupid thing I'd done; and we got back up to FL180 only about 10-12 seconds after passing it. I would say the lowest I saw on the altimeter was 17400 ft. ATC said nothing; in fact; right after getting back to FL180 socal gave us 'direct skoll; descend via the civet;' so we immediately began a descent to the next listed altitude. I put the autoplt back on and let it descend the rest of the way to the FAF. Lesson learned: don't go to extraordinary efforts to comply with ATC directions. If a normal descent won't cut it; I'm just gonna call for relief from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW BUSTS ALT ON CIVET5 TO LAX.

Narrative: WE HAD PLANNED A 300 KT MANAGED DSCNT FOR THE CIVET 5 ARR IN LAX TO LAND RWY 25R; AND I HAD EMPHASIZED THE ARR ALTS DURING THE ARR BRIEFING; BECAUSE BOTH THE FO AND I HADN'T DONE THE CIVET IN A WHILE. DURING THE MANAGED DSCNT; WHILE LEVELING OFF AT FL240; WITH THE COMPUTER SHOWING US RIGHT ON THE MANAGED PROFILE; WE WERE SWITCHED FROM ZLA TO SOCAL APCH; CHKED IN; AND THEY IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO SLOW TO 270 KIAS; THEN DSND TO CROSS GRAMM AND FL180 AND 270 KIAS. BECAUSE OF OUR MANAGED DSCNT PROFILE; WE WERE SUDDENLY TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST; WITH THE BLUE 'HOCKEY STICK' SHOWING US THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE ALT AT GRAMM; IN FACT THE MANAGED SPD 'STICK' PREDICTED US REACHING FL180 ABOUT 10 MI PAST GRAMM. I PULLED FOR OPEN DSCNT; AND IMMEDIATELY SELECTED 1/2 FLT SPOILERS; AND THEN INCREASED THE DRAG TO FULL FLT SPOILERS WHEN IT APPEARED THAT 1/2 WASN'T GOING TO DO IT. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH ABOUT FL200; SOCAL TOLD US THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE OUR RWY CHANGED TO RWY 24R FROM RWY 25R; AND TO EXPECT DIRECT SKOLL IN A MIN. MY FO WENT HEADS DOWN TO PROGRAM THE BOX. AT FL195; BECAUSE OF THE FULL SPD BRAKES (THIS WAS AN A319; AND FULL SPD BRAKES ON IT IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE LESS THAN 1/2 SPD BRAKES ON A A320); THE AUTOPLT 'CAPTURED' FL180; AND STARTED THE INFAMOUS AIRBUS 'SOFT' LEVELOFF; WHICH I SAW WAS NOT GOING TO GET US TO FL180 BY GRAMM. INSTEAD OF GETTING RELIEF FROM ATC LIKE I SHOULD HAVE; I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER; PLANNING TO HAND-LEVEL OFF RIGHT AT FL180. JUST THEN FOR SOME REASON; I SUDDENLY HAD IN MY MIND THAT WE WERE TO LEVEL OFF AT 17000 FT INSTEAD OF FL180. DURING MY DSCNT BRIEF; I HAD EMPHASIZED THE ALTS ON THE ARR; AND THE ALT CONSTRAINT FOR GRAMM WAS FROM FL190 TO 17000 FT. I GUESS FOR WHATEVER REASON MY MIND FIXED ON THAT WRONG ALT. BECAUSE MY FO WAS HEADS DOWN PROGRAMMING THE BOX; HE DIDN'T CALL '1000 FT;' WHEN WE WERE WITHIN 1000 FT OF FL180 (NOT HIS FAULT; THIS WAS ALL ME); IN FACT RIGHT AS ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING SOCAL GAVE US A HDG OFF THE SID FOR 'SPACING' AND MY FO RESPONDED TO THE CALL; AND GAVE ME THAT NEW HDG (220 DEGS; I THINK; ABOUT A 20 DEG TURN TO THE L); NEEDLESS TO SAY; IN MY EFFORT TO GET DOWN TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY CLRED ALT; I BLEW RIGHT THROUGH FL180. THE ALT WARNING HORN SOUNDED PASSING 17750 AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO; BUT I MUST HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS THE WARNING HORN SAYING THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS NOT ON AND THE ACFT WAS WITHIN 750 FT OF THE LEVELOFF ALT. MY FO LOOKED UP FROM THE BOX; SCREAMED OUT 'ALT; GET BACK UP TO 18;' I RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AFTER REALIZING WHAT A STUPID THING I'D DONE; AND WE GOT BACK UP TO FL180 ONLY ABOUT 10-12 SECONDS AFTER PASSING IT. I WOULD SAY THE LOWEST I SAW ON THE ALTIMETER WAS 17400 FT. ATC SAID NOTHING; IN FACT; RIGHT AFTER GETTING BACK TO FL180 SOCAL GAVE US 'DIRECT SKOLL; DSND VIA THE CIVET;' SO WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT TO THE NEXT LISTED ALT. I PUT THE AUTOPLT BACK ON AND LET IT DSND THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE FAF. LESSON LEARNED: DON'T GO TO EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH ATC DIRECTIONS. IF A NORMAL DSCNT WON'T CUT IT; I'M JUST GONNA CALL FOR RELIEF FROM NOW ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.