Narrative:

I was flying as first officer during an initial operating experience for a new captain. He was performing duties of PNF. Departure changed our climb altitude from 5000 to 7000'. The new captain set the new altitude to 17000' on the mode control panel. I was busy working with a FMC problem and did not hear the new altitude. At 13000' departure asked what our cleared altitude was. The captain trnee answered 7000'. Departure gave us a new climb altitude to 17000' quickly. I believe the new captain was overwhelmed by PNF duties. He stated he could not see the first digit on the altitude control window. However, when we parked the aircraft I moved to his seat at his request and had no problem seeing all digits in the control window with captain's seat in any position. The captain trnee was moving fast and erred in setting the altitude and not monitoring aircraft altitude during climb. As a check pilot I hope not to get distracted by operational problems while trnees are learning. Very difficult to monitor trnee and solve other problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter, who is a very experienced check airman, states that during the initial portion of the departure the autoflt system malfunctioned so that he was unable to engage any autoplt or to use the LNAV or VNAV functions with the flight director he was therefore manually flying the aircraft and following the moving map display when the student captain placed 17000' in the altitude alerter system instead of the cleared altitude of 7000'. Due to the extremely high workload the reporter did not notice the error and was climbing through 12000' on the way to 17000' when the error was discovered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON DEP FLYING A SID REPORTER CLIMBED APPROX 6000' ABOVE CLEARED ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE REPORTER CONDUCTING IOE FOR NEW CAPT WHO SET WRONG ALT IN ALT ALERTER AND A MALFUNCTION IN ACFT AUTOFLT SYSTEM.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS F/O DURING AN INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE FOR A NEW CAPT. HE WAS PERFORMING DUTIES OF PNF. DEP CHANGED OUR CLB ALT FROM 5000 TO 7000'. THE NEW CAPT SET THE NEW ALT TO 17000' ON THE MODE CONTROL PANEL. I WAS BUSY WORKING WITH A FMC PROB AND DID NOT HEAR THE NEW ALT. AT 13000' DEP ASKED WHAT OUR CLRED ALT WAS. THE CAPT TRNEE ANSWERED 7000'. DEP GAVE US A NEW CLB ALT TO 17000' QUICKLY. I BELIEVE THE NEW CAPT WAS OVERWHELMED BY PNF DUTIES. HE STATED HE COULD NOT SEE THE FIRST DIGIT ON THE ALT CONTROL WINDOW. HOWEVER, WHEN WE PARKED THE ACFT I MOVED TO HIS SEAT AT HIS REQUEST AND HAD NO PROB SEEING ALL DIGITS IN THE CONTROL WINDOW WITH CAPT'S SEAT IN ANY POS. THE CAPT TRNEE WAS MOVING FAST AND ERRED IN SETTING THE ALT AND NOT MONITORING ACFT ALT DURING CLB. AS A CHK PLT I HOPE NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY OPERATIONAL PROBS WHILE TRNEES ARE LEARNING. VERY DIFFICULT TO MONITOR TRNEE AND SOLVE OTHER PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR, WHO IS A VERY EXPERIENCED CHK AIRMAN, STATES THAT DURING THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE DEP THE AUTOFLT SYS MALFUNCTIONED SO THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE ANY AUTOPLT OR TO USE THE LNAV OR VNAV FUNCTIONS WITH THE FLT DIRECTOR HE WAS THEREFORE MANUALLY FLYING THE ACFT AND FOLLOWING THE MOVING MAP DISPLAY WHEN THE STUDENT CAPT PLACED 17000' IN THE ALT ALERTER SYS INSTEAD OF THE CLRED ALT OF 7000'. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HIGH WORKLOAD THE RPTR DID NOT NOTICE THE ERROR AND WAS CLBING THROUGH 12000' ON THE WAY TO 17000' WHEN THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED.

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.