A corp aircraft crew received four STAR changes on an atl arrival in heavy WX. An altitude deviation...

Attributes
ACN	793841
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain Windshear Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	793841
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	793859
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Upon arriving into atl and being transferred to atl center; a flight plan reroute was issued by ATC. The reroute changed the transition and arriving STAR. We were cleared to descend to one eight thousand from an altitude of FL240. As the descent was in progress the STAR was changed again by ATC. While still descending a third STAR was issued by ATC; at this point three different stars had been issued within a short period by ATC. Difficulties arose while trying to reprogram the flight management system. The conditions were turbulent and lightning was in the area. The captain offered assistance to input the latest STAR into the FMS. During that time the aircraft descended below the altitude assigned by the controller. Possible cause was autoplt disconnect and attention diverted from not observing the autoplt and the aircraft. The controller asked what altitude was assigned and I responded one eight thousand. At that time she responded climb and maintain one nine thousand; immediately a climb began. While climbing up to one nine thousand she changed the STAR again; to one that was previously issued. At this point I asked for a vector and stated that we needed time to set up the STAR with an approach at pdk. A vector was given as well as a controller handoff; and the flight was completed without incident. I believe the controller was trying to issue a STAR that would keep us away from thunderstorms. In my opinion the changes were too rapid; as a result; cockpit resource management suffered. The previous events led to an overbearing workload on the crew. Altitude deviation was the end result. Corrective action taken by crew has been to discuss the event; agree to work as a team with specific duties for each crew member and review CRM procedures as by flight safety guidelines.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORP ACFT CREW RECEIVED FOUR STAR CHANGES ON AN ATL ARR IN HEAVY WX. AN ALT DEV RESULTED. THE CREW BECAME TASK SATURATED AND THE FLT CREW REQUESTED VECTORS.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING INTO ATL AND BEING TRANSFERRED TO ATL CENTER; A FLIGHT PLAN REROUTE WAS ISSUED BY ATC. THE REROUTE CHANGED THE TRANSITION AND ARRIVING STAR. WE WERE CLEARED TO DSND TO ONE EIGHT THOUSAND FROM AN ALTITUDE OF FL240. AS THE DSCNT WAS IN PROGRESS THE STAR WAS CHANGED AGAIN BY ATC. WHILE STILL DSNDING A THIRD STAR WAS ISSUED BY ATC; AT THIS POINT THREE DIFFERENT STARS HAD BEEN ISSUED WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD BY ATC. DIFFICULTIES AROSE WHILE TRYING TO REPROGRAM THE FLT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THE CONDITIONS WERE TURBULENT AND LIGHTNING WAS IN THE AREA. THE CAPT OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO INPUT THE LATEST STAR INTO THE FMS. DURING THAT TIME THE ACFT DSNDED BELOW THE ALTITUDE ASSIGNED BY THE CTLR. POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS AUTOPLT DISCONNECT AND ATTENTION DIVERTED FROM NOT OBSERVING THE AUTOPLT AND THE ACFT. THE CTLR ASKED WHAT ALTITUDE WAS ASSIGNED AND I RESPONDED ONE EIGHT THOUSAND. AT THAT TIME SHE RESPONDED CLB AND MAINTAIN ONE NINE THOUSAND; IMMEDIATELY A CLB BEGAN. WHILE CLBING UP TO ONE NINE THOUSAND SHE CHANGED THE STAR AGAIN; TO ONE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED. AT THIS POINT I ASKED FOR A VECTOR AND STATED THAT WE NEEDED TIME TO SET UP THE STAR WITH AN APCH AT PDK. A VECTOR WAS GIVEN AS WELL AS A CTLR HANDOFF; AND THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO ISSUE A STAR THAT WOULD KEEP US AWAY FROM THUNDERSTORMS. IN MY OPINION THE CHANGES WERE TOO RAPID; AS A RESULT; COCKPIT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SUFFERED. THE PREVIOUS EVENTS LED TO AN OVERBEARING WORKLOAD ON THE CREW. ALTITUDE DEV WAS THE END RESULT. CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN BY CREW HAS BEEN TO DISCUSS THE EVENT; AGREE TO WORK AS A TEAM WITH SPECIFIC DUTIES FOR EACH CREW MEMBER AND REVIEW CRM PROCS AS BY FLT SAFETY GUIDELINES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

A corp aircraft crew received four STAR changes on an atl arrival in heavy WX. An altitude deviation resulted. The crew became task saturated and the flight crew requested vectors.