Aircraft climbed through cleared altitude. No apparent conflict.

Attributes
ACN	112968
Time
Date	198906
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aml
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17450
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	112968
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departing dca on radar vectors from ZDC in large transport cleared to climb to 17,000. Using center cmd autoplt, and VNAV climb mode, heading mode, and automatic throttles. Autoplt did not capture level off. Copilot disconnected autoplt and manually descended to 17,000. Overshoot was 450'. I expected autoplt to level us and was too slow to react when it didn't. The large transport FMC climbs the plane at 2000 FPM the last 1000' and only lowers the nose the final 200' of climb. This is much too high a vertical speed. Why doesn't (manufacturer) program climb at 500 FPM the last 1000'? We could have leveled off quicker if we had been willing to push over more rapidly and experience negative G's. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter states that he was unsure why the event happened. He states that he is relatively new on the equipment and is somewhat uncomfortable with certain aspects of its operation. He states that the altitude constraint was entered while in VNAV climb and is not sure if the aircraft would have stopped climb or not but when it appeared to be a problem the first officer properly disconnected the autoplt and accomplished the level off manually. The reporter states that he is not particularly happy with the training he received on this aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CLIMBED THROUGH CLEARED ALT. NO APPARENT CONFLICT.

Narrative: DEPARTING DCA ON RADAR VECTORS FROM ZDC IN LGT CLRED TO CLIMB TO 17,000. USING CENTER CMD AUTOPLT, AND VNAV CLIMB MODE, HDG MODE, AND AUTO THROTTLES. AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE LEVEL OFF. COPLT DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND MANUALLY DESCENDED TO 17,000. OVERSHOOT WAS 450'. I EXPECTED AUTOPLT TO LEVEL US AND WAS TOO SLOW TO REACT WHEN IT DIDN'T. THE LGT FMC CLIMBS THE PLANE AT 2000 FPM THE LAST 1000' AND ONLY LOWERS THE NOSE THE FINAL 200' OF CLIMB. THIS IS MUCH TOO HIGH A VERTICAL SPEED. WHY DOESN'T (MANUFACTURER) PROGRAM CLIMB AT 500 FPM THE LAST 1000'? WE COULD HAVE LEVELED OFF QUICKER IF WE HAD BEEN WILLING TO PUSH OVER MORE RAPIDLY AND EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE G'S. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE REPORTER STATES THAT HE WAS UNSURE WHY THE EVENT HAPPENED. HE STATES THAT HE IS RELATIVELY NEW ON THE EQUIPMENT AND IS SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH CERTAIN ASPECTS OF ITS OPERATION. HE STATES THAT THE ALT CONSTRAINT WAS ENTERED WHILE IN VNAV CLIMB AND IS NOT SURE IF THE ACFT WOULD HAVE STOPPED CLIMB OR NOT BUT WHEN IT APPEARED TO BE A PROBLEM THE F/O PROPERLY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ACCOMPLISHED THE LEVEL OFF MANUALLY. THE REPORTER STATES THAT HE IS NOT PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH THE TRAINING HE RECEIVED ON THIS ACFT.

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.