Narrative:

Oakland approach regional supervisor told me to submit this report for exceeding my assigned altitude on my departure from san jose int'l airport. I was ferrying an small transport from san jose, ca to charleston, sc. This was the first time that I had flown this specific small transport. I also was flying alone, which I seldom do, the last couple of years. After departing runway 30R I proceeded to climb to 5000'. During the climb I became concerned why the autoplt would not engage. I kept getting trim warning beeps, which sound just like altitude alert beeps. I became too engrossed with the autoplt problem and failed to notice the altitude alert. Consequently, I failed to level off at 5000'. Oakland called me to expedite back to 5000, which I was already doing, as I caught my mistake as they were calling me. Shortly thereafter I was told to copy down a phone number and talk to the supervisor on shift, which I did when I landed at abq 3 1/2 hours later. I think the reason I didn't notice the altitude alert was because it was located low on the instrument panel and out of the normal scan area. I fly several different airplanes that have altitude alerts and the majority are mounted high on the instrument panel or on the glare shield. I believe this incident would not have happened if the altitude alert had been in a better location.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOOT IN CLIMB. IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: OAKLAND APCH REGIONAL SUPVR TOLD ME TO SUBMIT THIS REPORT FOR EXCEEDING MY ASSIGNED ALT ON MY DEP FROM SAN JOSE INT'L ARPT. I WAS FERRYING AN SMT FROM SAN JOSE, CA TO CHARLESTON, SC. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD FLOWN THIS SPECIFIC SMT. I ALSO WAS FLYING ALONE, WHICH I SELDOM DO, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 30R I PROCEEDED TO CLIMB TO 5000'. DURING THE CLIMB I BECAME CONCERNED WHY THE AUTOPLT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I KEPT GETTING TRIM WARNING BEEPS, WHICH SOUND JUST LIKE ALT ALERT BEEPS. I BECAME TOO ENGROSSED WITH THE AUTOPLT PROBLEM AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE ALT ALERT. CONSEQUENTLY, I FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000'. OAKLAND CALLED ME TO EXPEDITE BACK TO 5000, WHICH I WAS ALREADY DOING, AS I CAUGHT MY MISTAKE AS THEY WERE CALLING ME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I WAS TOLD TO COPY DOWN A PHONE NUMBER AND TALK TO THE SUPVR ON SHIFT, WHICH I DID WHEN I LANDED AT ABQ 3 1/2 HRS LATER. I THINK THE REASON I DIDN'T NOTICE THE ALT ALERT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS LOCATED LOW ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND OUT OF THE NORMAL SCAN AREA. I FLY SEVERAL DIFFERENT AIRPLANES THAT HAVE ALT ALERTS AND THE MAJORITY ARE MOUNTED HIGH ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OR ON THE GLARE SHIELD. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE ALT ALERT HAD BEEN IN A BETTER LOCATION.

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.