Narrative:

Flight was filed for FL330. Was cleared by center to FL290. Approaching FL290, was cleared to FL310 and advised that would be final altitude unless we wanted to go to FL350. We accepted FL310 as a final and put that into altitude alert system. This transpired as we approached FL290. Then got a call from cabin concerning temperature, and was looking to orient ourselves visually with city lights on the ground. Altitude alert sounded and both pilots agreed with 1000' to level off. Next sound was altitude alerter again, which confused both of us. I was starting into level-off procedure when first officer mentioned that we were cleared to FL310. We were then at FL318. Immediately started push-over back to FL310 when center cleared us to FL330. Acknowledged clearance and continued climb. Aircraft was 1 of 2 of more than 100 with old autoplt--all others have new type. Also, only aircraft in the fleet west/O automatic altitude capability. Reason: inattentive, distraction from cabin, outside distraction because have spent most of my flying career flying in western part of country, one-of-a-kind aircraft confign picked up for last leg of long day?? Supplemental information from acn 126440: observations/perceptions: attention was distracted at a key moment and we were flying an airplane which required manual level-off with the autoplt engaged, unlike the other aircraft we had flown all day and the previous day, we hit that portion of the graph we saw in CRM that is outside the envelope.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMB.

Narrative: FLT WAS FILED FOR FL330. WAS CLRED BY CENTER TO FL290. APCHING FL290, WAS CLRED TO FL310 AND ADVISED THAT WOULD BE FINAL ALT UNLESS WE WANTED TO GO TO FL350. WE ACCEPTED FL310 AS A FINAL AND PUT THAT INTO ALT ALERT SYS. THIS TRANSPIRED AS WE APCHED FL290. THEN GOT A CALL FROM CABIN CONCERNING TEMP, AND WAS LOOKING TO ORIENT OURSELVES VISUALLY WITH CITY LIGHTS ON THE GND. ALT ALERT SOUNDED AND BOTH PLTS AGREED WITH 1000' TO LEVEL OFF. NEXT SOUND WAS ALT ALERTER AGAIN, WHICH CONFUSED BOTH OF US. I WAS STARTING INTO LEVEL-OFF PROC WHEN F/O MENTIONED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL310. WE WERE THEN AT FL318. IMMEDIATELY STARTED PUSH-OVER BACK TO FL310 WHEN CENTER CLRED US TO FL330. ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC AND CONTINUED CLB. ACFT WAS 1 OF 2 OF MORE THAN 100 WITH OLD AUTOPLT--ALL OTHERS HAVE NEW TYPE. ALSO, ONLY ACFT IN THE FLEET W/O AUTOMATIC ALT CAPABILITY. REASON: INATTENTIVE, DISTR FROM CABIN, OUTSIDE DISTR BECAUSE HAVE SPENT MOST OF MY FLYING CAREER FLYING IN WESTERN PART OF COUNTRY, ONE-OF-A-KIND ACFT CONFIGN PICKED UP FOR LAST LEG OF LONG DAY?? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 126440: OBSERVATIONS/PERCEPTIONS: ATTN WAS DISTRACTED AT A KEY MOMENT AND WE WERE FLYING AN AIRPLANE WHICH REQUIRED MANUAL LEVEL-OFF WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED, UNLIKE THE OTHER ACFT WE HAD FLOWN ALL DAY AND THE PREVIOUS DAY, WE HIT THAT PORTION OF THE GRAPH WE SAW IN CRM THAT IS OUTSIDE THE ENVELOPE.

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.