Altitude deviation. Potential conflict.

Attributes
ACN	92538
Time
Date	198808
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bim
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zma
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	92538
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Having been issued descent clearance to 8000 from 12000' the controller said, 'expect to cross 4000, 40 southeast of ft lauderdale.' the normal clearance is 36 mi southeast of ft lauderdale. Due to the clearance distance being 5 mi closer than I expected, I was hurrying down and forgot to stop at 8000'. The controller asked altitude as I reached 7500' where I stopped and immediately returned to 8000'. Controller said there was opp direction traffic at 7000' and that we passed at 3 mi. I was not informed that there was opp direction traffic when issued the descent limit. It might have helped. Also, normal descent limit that area is 7000', so I was limited 1000' above normal. I am not aware that the opp direction traffic did or did not take evasive action--I did not see. Contributing factors: long day, get homeitis, different descent limit, different point to reach further descent, and there was a non flying pilot in right seat sleeping. I often fly with this pilot as copilot in another aircraft. This could suggest that I depend on him too much when he is acting as copilot. He had no pilot responsibilities on this flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: HAVING BEEN ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO 8000 FROM 12000' THE CTLR SAID, 'EXPECT TO CROSS 4000, 40 SE OF FT LAUDERDALE.' THE NORMAL CLRNC IS 36 MI SE OF FT LAUDERDALE. DUE TO THE CLRNC DISTANCE BEING 5 MI CLOSER THAN I EXPECTED, I WAS HURRYING DOWN AND FORGOT TO STOP AT 8000'. THE CTLR ASKED ALT AS I REACHED 7500' WHERE I STOPPED AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 8000'. CTLR SAID THERE WAS OPP DIRECTION TFC AT 7000' AND THAT WE PASSED AT 3 MI. I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THERE WAS OPP DIRECTION TFC WHEN ISSUED THE DSCNT LIMIT. IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED. ALSO, NORMAL DSCNT LIMIT THAT AREA IS 7000', SO I WAS LIMITED 1000' ABOVE NORMAL. I AM NOT AWARE THAT THE OPP DIRECTION TFC DID OR DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION--I DID NOT SEE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LONG DAY, GET HOMEITIS, DIFFERENT DSCNT LIMIT, DIFFERENT POINT TO REACH FURTHER DSCNT, AND THERE WAS A NON FLYING PLT IN RIGHT SEAT SLEEPING. I OFTEN FLY WITH THIS PLT AS COPLT IN ANOTHER ACFT. THIS COULD SUGGEST THAT I DEPEND ON HIM TOO MUCH WHEN HE IS ACTING AS COPLT. HE HAD NO PLT RESPONSIBILITIES ON THIS FLT.

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