Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation excursion from clearance altitude.

Attributes
ACN	97336
Time
Date	198811
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10400 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival : profile descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	97336
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Both pilots copied altitudes: first officer 29.63, captain 30.63, actual 29.63. On profile descent first officer busy making crossing restriction. Captain read checklist. First officer called out 29.63. Captain did not catch his error. First officer did not xchk captain's altitude setting. First officer leveled off at 11000'. Captain yelled 'push over, you're 1000' high.' first officer responded by pushing over before xchking altitude setting. Dropped to 10400' before insisting he was correct. This excursion was caused by improper use of existing procedures: failure to xchk altimeters by PNF, failure to read ATIS information aloud, failure of PNF to xchk altimeters when responding, failure of captain to consider his setting in error and failure of first officer to question order to descend below what he considered the correct altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT.

Narrative: BOTH PLTS COPIED ALTS: F/O 29.63, CAPT 30.63, ACTUAL 29.63. ON PROFILE DSCNT F/O BUSY MAKING XING RESTRICTION. CAPT READ CHKLIST. F/O CALLED OUT 29.63. CAPT DID NOT CATCH HIS ERROR. F/O DID NOT XCHK CAPT'S ALT SETTING. F/O LEVELED OFF AT 11000'. CAPT YELLED 'PUSH OVER, YOU'RE 1000' HIGH.' F/O RESPONDED BY PUSHING OVER BEFORE XCHKING ALT SETTING. DROPPED TO 10400' BEFORE INSISTING HE WAS CORRECT. THIS EXCURSION WAS CAUSED BY IMPROPER USE OF EXISTING PROCS: FAILURE TO XCHK ALTIMETERS BY PNF, FAILURE TO READ ATIS INFO ALOUD, FAILURE OF PNF TO XCHK ALTIMETERS WHEN RESPONDING, FAILURE OF CAPT TO CONSIDER HIS SETTING IN ERROR AND FAILURE OF F/O TO QUESTION ORDER TO DSND BELOW WHAT HE CONSIDERED THE CORRECT ALT.

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.