Narrative:

On departure at dfw (south) from runway 17R normal climb thru 6000'. The controller gave us a left turn to 100 degree then before we finished turning, to continue to 070 degree. The WX was partly cloudy with bases around 5000' and tops around 11,000. Nothing significant was in sight or reported. The turn to 070 degree would take me thru the core of this white cloud with a shaft topping out at 12,000. I told departure that I wanted to delay the turn for a small buildup and he agreed to my request. We had an altitude clearance to 10,000'. I was aiming for a low part in this cloud structure trying to stay visual but I soon realized it was above my altitude clearance. At 9000' I selected speed 250 on the automatic throttles and selected vertical speed 1000' up on the flight director. (Automatic throttle engaged and autoplt off. I was hand flying.) at about 9900' the FMA indicated 'altitude cap' and I started to level off. I was looking outside trying to find a direction that was acceptable. The closer I got to this little buildup the less I liked it. The first officer called out 10,100'. I pushed over some more, lightly, and the aircraft continued to climb. We entered the clouds and got a good jolt of turbulence and the aircraft climbed to 10,400' before starting down. Departure control was upset because there was an arrival corridor above us at 11,000' which I was aware of. I felt like a trapped dog. Couldn't go up, down, left or right. So I rode it out. It was brief (like 5-7 second) but that was unexpected and it bothered me that I went thru 10,000'. I did all the normal attitude adjustments for a smooth level off? We were given clearance to climb to 17,000' and change frequency which we did. At about 13,000' the #1 F/a came up and was complaining about the jolt back there. She also mentioned that the F/a's in the back were not strapped in and were airborne for a little bit. One F/a said her back shoulder hurt where she hit when she came down. I did not realize at the time that I had pushed over that hard. My only explanation is that there was a very strong updraft associated with this event that forced the altitude bust. In retrospect I don't know why I or anybody else (departure control included) could have done to prevent this. The departure area is thick with aircraft, so large deviations (left or right) without checking with ATC is dangerous. The 10,000' altitude limit is firmly fixed because of arrival traffic. I would mark this down as WX induced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG CLEARED TO LEVEL AT 10,000 MSL ENTERED A CUMULUS CLOUD THAT WAS BUILDING. EXPERIENCED ABRUPT INCREASE IN ALT, OVERSHOT TARGET ALT. CABIN ATTENDANT INJURED.

Narrative: ON DEP AT DFW (SOUTH) FROM RWY 17R NORMAL CLIMB THRU 6000'. THE CTLR GAVE US A LEFT TURN TO 100 DEG THEN BEFORE WE FINISHED TURNING, TO CONTINUE TO 070 DEG. THE WX WAS PARTLY CLOUDY WITH BASES AROUND 5000' AND TOPS AROUND 11,000. NOTHING SIGNIFICANT WAS IN SIGHT OR REPORTED. THE TURN TO 070 DEG WOULD TAKE ME THRU THE CORE OF THIS WHITE CLOUD WITH A SHAFT TOPPING OUT AT 12,000. I TOLD DEP THAT I WANTED TO DELAY THE TURN FOR A SMALL BUILDUP AND HE AGREED TO MY REQUEST. WE HAD AN ALT CLRNC TO 10,000'. I WAS AIMING FOR A LOW PART IN THIS CLOUD STRUCTURE TRYING TO STAY VISUAL BUT I SOON REALIZED IT WAS ABOVE MY ALT CLRNC. AT 9000' I SELECTED SPEED 250 ON THE AUTO THROTTLES AND SELECTED VERTICAL SPEED 1000' UP ON THE FLT DIRECTOR. (AUTO THROTTLE ENGAGED AND AUTOPLT OFF. I WAS HAND FLYING.) AT ABOUT 9900' THE FMA INDICATED 'ALT CAP' AND I STARTED TO LEVEL OFF. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE TRYING TO FIND A DIRECTION THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE. THE CLOSER I GOT TO THIS LITTLE BUILDUP THE LESS I LIKED IT. THE F/O CALLED OUT 10,100'. I PUSHED OVER SOME MORE, LIGHTLY, AND THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CLIMB. WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND GOT A GOOD JOLT OF TURBULENCE AND THE ACFT CLIMBED TO 10,400' BEFORE STARTING DOWN. DEP CTL WAS UPSET BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ARR CORRIDOR ABOVE US AT 11,000' WHICH I WAS AWARE OF. I FELT LIKE A TRAPPED DOG. COULDN'T GO UP, DOWN, LEFT OR RIGHT. SO I RODE IT OUT. IT WAS BRIEF (LIKE 5-7 SEC) BUT THAT WAS UNEXPECTED AND IT BOTHERED ME THAT I WENT THRU 10,000'. I DID ALL THE NORMAL ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS FOR A SMOOTH LEVEL OFF? WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CLIMB TO 17,000' AND CHANGE FREQ WHICH WE DID. AT ABOUT 13,000' THE #1 F/A CAME UP AND WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE JOLT BACK THERE. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE F/A'S IN THE BACK WERE NOT STRAPPED IN AND WERE AIRBORNE FOR A LITTLE BIT. ONE F/A SAID HER BACK SHOULDER HURT WHERE SHE HIT WHEN SHE CAME DOWN. I DID NOT REALIZE AT THE TIME THAT I HAD PUSHED OVER THAT HARD. MY ONLY EXPLANATION IS THAT THERE WAS A VERY STRONG UPDRAFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT THAT FORCED THE ALT BUST. IN RETROSPECT I DON'T KNOW WHY I OR ANYBODY ELSE (DEP CTL INCLUDED) COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. THE DEP AREA IS THICK WITH ACFT, SO LARGE DEVIATIONS (LEFT OR RIGHT) WITHOUT CHECKING WITH ATC IS DANGEROUS. THE 10,000' ALT LIMIT IS FIRMLY FIXED BECAUSE OF ARR TFC. I WOULD MARK THIS DOWN AS WX INDUCED.

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.