Altitude deviation climbed above assigned altitude during missed approach.

Attributes
ACN	112997
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7400
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing : missed approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	112997
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During visual approach to dfw. During thunderstorms, flight was forced to go around due to being unable to keep preceding traffic in sight and moderate turbulence and micro-bursts at low level. On missed approach, it was all first officer could do to maintain approximately airspeed and aircraft control. 3 cells were in the missed approach direction and we were unable to turn left due to traffic on apches to west side of field. Tower was unable to approve turn or altitude request on missed approach. After a couple tries on departure control, an altitude and heading were approved while climbing on the missed approach. Mod turbulence next to the storm cells was encountered and aircraft control was marginal at best. The level off on altitude was 400' high (assigned 7000) while flying in edge of a thunderstorm cell. The altitude bust due to the WX conditions was hard to prevent but the company's policy of resetting altimeters to field elevation (afl) instead of MSL helped this deviation happen. During control problems in mod turbulence, having the missed approach altitude in the basic 6 flight instruments would have made the level off simpler instead of attempting to concentrate on the center altimeter (MSL).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION CLIMBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT DURING MISSED APCH.

Narrative: DURING VISUAL APCH TO DFW. DURING TSTMS, FLT WAS FORCED TO GO AROUND DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO KEEP PRECEDING TFC IN SIGHT AND MODERATE TURBULENCE AND MICRO-BURSTS AT LOW LEVEL. ON MISSED APCH, IT WAS ALL F/O COULD DO TO MAINTAIN APPROX AIRSPEED AND ACFT CONTROL. 3 CELLS WERE IN THE MISSED APCH DIRECTION AND WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN LEFT DUE TO TFC ON APCHES TO W SIDE OF FIELD. TWR WAS UNABLE TO APPROVE TURN OR ALT REQUEST ON MISSED APCH. AFTER A COUPLE TRIES ON DEP CTL, AN ALT AND HDG WERE APPROVED WHILE CLIMBING ON THE MISSED APCH. MOD TURBULENCE NEXT TO THE STORM CELLS WAS ENCOUNTERED AND ACFT CONTROL WAS MARGINAL AT BEST. THE LEVEL OFF ON ALT WAS 400' HIGH (ASSIGNED 7000) WHILE FLYING IN EDGE OF A TSTM CELL. THE ALT BUST DUE TO THE WX CONDITIONS WAS HARD TO PREVENT BUT THE COMPANY'S POLICY OF RESETTING ALTIMETERS TO FIELD ELEVATION (AFL) INSTEAD OF MSL HELPED THIS DEVIATION HAPPEN. DURING CONTROL PROBLEMS IN MOD TURBULENCE, HAVING THE MISSED APCH ALT IN THE BASIC 6 FLT INSTRUMENTS WOULD HAVE MADE THE LEVEL OFF SIMPLER INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING TO CONCENTRATE ON THE CENTER ALTIMETER (MSL).

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.