Narrative:

First officer was flying the aircraft from tpa to mem. Departed on runway 18R and in departure climb first officer was manually flying the aircraft using VNAV and heading functions selected on the flight director. Captain was performing the PNF duties or copilot duties. Flight xx was handed off to jax ATC while passing 10000' in the climb. Jax cleared flight xx to climb to 16000' and fly a heading of 360 degrees to intercept the 349 degree right of pie and fly this radial outbnd. Captain set the pie frequency and 349 degrees on the flight guidance panel and then selected VOR on the FMC panel to have a course bar on the HSI display. First officer adjusted heading to fly the 340 degree right outbnd as the course bar centered on the HSI. The aircraft is now out of 12000' and climbing at 4000 FPM. Flying a VOR radial is not usually done on this large transport as the usual procedure is point to point LNAV for course navigation. First officer requested a pie 349 degree/150 NM fix entered on the FMC computer, so that a direct course could be flown. This took 2 settings as the first direct course was not on the pie 340 degree right. Setting this direct course caused both pilots to concentrate on course and not watch altitude in the climb. The 2000' to go and the 1000' to go call outs were missed. Captain noticed that the altitude was 15800' and the aircraft was still climbing. He called out cleared to 16000' and the first officer stopped the climb at 16400' and descended to 16000'. Jax called flight xx assigned altitude is 16000' as the aircraft was descending to 16000'. Captain reported leveling at 16000'. Contributing factors: there was too much effort on flying the assigned radial and not enough concentration on the altitude during the climb. The events described above took less than 2 mins. First officer was manually flying the aircraft which takes more concentration on course and altitude. The flight director does not have a VOR function. This increases the effort to fly a course. Flying a VOR radial outbnd is not a common procedure for line flying in the large transport. The computer only allow flight to a fix, not from a fix. A fix must be established on the outbnd radial to fly toward. Possible preventive action: fly the aircraft using VOR displaced on the HSI and use VNAV and heading on the flight director. Concentrate on course and altitude or use the autoplt to fly the aircraft using VNAV and heading while the LNAV fix is being set into the FMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO DISTRS IN THE COCKPIT FLT CREW FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT FROM TPA TO MEM. DEPARTED ON RWY 18R AND IN DEP CLB F/O WAS MANUALLY FLYING THE ACFT USING VNAV AND HDG FUNCTIONS SELECTED ON THE FLT DIRECTOR. CAPT WAS PERFORMING THE PNF DUTIES OR COPLT DUTIES. FLT XX WAS HANDED OFF TO JAX ATC WHILE PASSING 10000' IN THE CLB. JAX CLRED FLT XX TO CLB TO 16000' AND FLY A HDG OF 360 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 349 DEG R OF PIE AND FLY THIS RADIAL OUTBND. CAPT SET THE PIE FREQ AND 349 DEGS ON THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL AND THEN SELECTED VOR ON THE FMC PANEL TO HAVE A COURSE BAR ON THE HSI DISPLAY. F/O ADJUSTED HDG TO FLY THE 340 DEG R OUTBND AS THE COURSE BAR CENTERED ON THE HSI. THE ACFT IS NOW OUT OF 12000' AND CLBING AT 4000 FPM. FLYING A VOR RADIAL IS NOT USUALLY DONE ON THIS LGT AS THE USUAL PROC IS POINT TO POINT LNAV FOR COURSE NAV. F/O REQUESTED A PIE 349 DEG/150 NM FIX ENTERED ON THE FMC COMPUTER, SO THAT A DIRECT COURSE COULD BE FLOWN. THIS TOOK 2 SETTINGS AS THE FIRST DIRECT COURSE WAS NOT ON THE PIE 340 DEG R. SETTING THIS DIRECT COURSE CAUSED BOTH PLTS TO CONCENTRATE ON COURSE AND NOT WATCH ALT IN THE CLB. THE 2000' TO GO AND THE 1000' TO GO CALL OUTS WERE MISSED. CAPT NOTICED THAT THE ALT WAS 15800' AND THE ACFT WAS STILL CLBING. HE CALLED OUT CLRED TO 16000' AND THE F/O STOPPED THE CLB AT 16400' AND DSNDED TO 16000'. JAX CALLED FLT XX ASSIGNED ALT IS 16000' AS THE ACFT WAS DSNDING TO 16000'. CAPT RPTED LEVELING AT 16000'. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THERE WAS TOO MUCH EFFORT ON FLYING THE ASSIGNED RADIAL AND NOT ENOUGH CONCENTRATION ON THE ALT DURING THE CLB. THE EVENTS DESCRIBED ABOVE TOOK LESS THAN 2 MINS. F/O WAS MANUALLY FLYING THE ACFT WHICH TAKES MORE CONCENTRATION ON COURSE AND ALT. THE FLT DIRECTOR DOES NOT HAVE A VOR FUNCTION. THIS INCREASES THE EFFORT TO FLY A COURSE. FLYING A VOR RADIAL OUTBND IS NOT A COMMON PROC FOR LINE FLYING IN THE LGT. THE COMPUTER ONLY ALLOW FLT TO A FIX, NOT FROM A FIX. A FIX MUST BE ESTABLISHED ON THE OUTBND RADIAL TO FLY TOWARD. POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE ACTION: FLY THE ACFT USING VOR DISPLACED ON THE HSI AND USE VNAV AND HDG ON THE FLT DIRECTOR. CONCENTRATE ON COURSE AND ALT OR USE THE AUTOPLT TO FLY THE ACFT USING VNAV AND HDG WHILE THE LNAV FIX IS BEING SET INTO THE FMC.

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.