Narrative:

On departure we were cleared to climb to 12,000', but we had an altitude deviation and we climbed to 12,450' before returning to the assigned 12,000'. At 11,000' I called '1000 to go' and then looked back outside to clear for traffic in the turn, I looked back inside and saw that we were at 11,800 climbing at approximately 4000 FPM. I pushed forward on the yoke at the same time I said 12,000. The captain then started to level off, going 450' above the assigned altitude before returning to 12,000. The departure controller did not mention the altitude deviation. The rest of the flight went without incident. The aircraft is a popular modern transport with an excellent thrust to weight ratio, glass cockpit, automatic throttles, fmcs, the works. With this aircraft's power it has quite a good climb rate and the automated systems fly the aircraft exceptionally well, but they do not climb or descend the aircraft according to the aim. It is not at all unusual to approach within 300-400' of a selected altitude at 4000 FPM, the computer will capture the altitude with about a 1.25 G pull or a .75 G pushover so that the passenger won't really feel it. A 500 FPM rate for the last 1000' has to be done by selecting the vertical speed mode or manual flight (not normally done) after preselecting the other vertical modes. Therefore, most people will follow the flight director bars to capture the altitude and will usually approach an altitude at far greater a rate of climb than they would accept in a less automated aircraft. I feel that if the aim descent rates were programmed into the computer that would be a better system. That way high vertical speed in the last 1000' would be the exception and not the rule and much more likely to result north a timely level off instead of an altitude bust. After all it would take more than 30 seconds to overfly/underfly an altitude by the magic 300' at 500 FPM as opposed to only slightly more than 4 seconds it would take at 4000 FPM.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG IN HIGH RATE OF CLIMB OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ON DEP WE WERE CLRED TO CLIMB TO 12,000', BUT WE HAD AN ALT DEVIATION AND WE CLIMBED TO 12,450' BEFORE RETURNING TO THE ASSIGNED 12,000'. AT 11,000' I CALLED '1000 TO GO' AND THEN LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE TO CLEAR FOR TFC IN THE TURN, I LOOKED BACK INSIDE AND SAW THAT WE WERE AT 11,800 CLIMBING AT APPROX 4000 FPM. I PUSHED FORWARD ON THE YOKE AT THE SAME TIME I SAID 12,000. THE CAPT THEN STARTED TO LEVEL OFF, GOING 450' ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE RETURNING TO 12,000. THE DEP CTLR DID NOT MENTION THE ALT DEVIATION. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ACFT IS A POPULAR MODERN TRANSPORT WITH AN EXCELLENT THRUST TO WEIGHT RATIO, GLASS COCKPIT, AUTO THROTTLES, FMCS, THE WORKS. WITH THIS ACFT'S POWER IT HAS QUITE A GOOD CLIMB RATE AND THE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS FLY THE ACFT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, BUT THEY DO NOT CLIMB OR DSND THE ACFT ACCORDING TO THE AIM. IT IS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO APCH WITHIN 300-400' OF A SELECTED ALT AT 4000 FPM, THE COMPUTER WILL CAPTURE THE ALT WITH ABOUT A 1.25 G PULL OR A .75 G PUSHOVER SO THAT THE PAX WON'T REALLY FEEL IT. A 500 FPM RATE FOR THE LAST 1000' HAS TO BE DONE BY SELECTING THE VERTICAL SPEED MODE OR MANUAL FLT (NOT NORMALLY DONE) AFTER PRESELECTING THE OTHER VERTICAL MODES. THEREFORE, MOST PEOPLE WILL FOLLOW THE FLT DIRECTOR BARS TO CAPTURE THE ALT AND WILL USUALLY APCH AN ALT AT FAR GREATER A RATE OF CLIMB THAN THEY WOULD ACCEPT IN A LESS AUTOMATED ACFT. I FEEL THAT IF THE AIM DSCNT RATES WERE PROGRAMMED INTO THE COMPUTER THAT WOULD BE A BETTER SYSTEM. THAT WAY HIGH VERTICAL SPEED IN THE LAST 1000' WOULD BE THE EXCEPTION AND NOT THE RULE AND MUCH MORE LIKELY TO RESULT N A TIMELY LEVEL OFF INSTEAD OF AN ALT BUST. AFTER ALL IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 30 SECONDS TO OVERFLY/UNDERFLY AN ALT BY THE MAGIC 300' AT 500 FPM AS OPPOSED TO ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 4 SECONDS IT WOULD TAKE AT 4000 FPM.

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.