Narrative:

My copilot was flying from cleveland hopkins to columbus, (port columbus) oh. Scheduled flight time is approximately 25 min. My copilot has only been on the line in this aircraft for a month, and comes from a background of helicopter aviation. In the 20 some odd mins between airports (not just these 2, but most all of our city pairs) we get an over-abundance of vectors and altitude changes, altitude changes associated with crossing restrictions, and airspeed or confign changes. We were cleared to 12,000' MSL with autoplt engaged. Altitude select was properly dialed to 12,000' MSL. Between our checklists departure calls for the departure station, ATIS for the arrival, and our in range call to the arrival station, it gets pretty busy to do non flying and flying duties both. I do not place the blame on my first officer squarely as if he was the 'bad guy'. Yes he was the flying pilot, yes he is knowledgeable on the aircraft. But he is new to the aircraft and blindly had placed his trust on the autoplt. He did not notice the subtle and quiet way the autoplt had not captured the altitude for level off. On my scan I caught the error at 12,300'. With the round out, we got to 12,400' MSL at which time the controller (being a good, sharp controller) was calling for us to verify assigned altitude. There are many factors that contribute to this situation. One is scheduling. To fly per the flight and duty regulations of 121 is absurd. We were 'legally' scheduled to fly a 2-DAY trip. A full 7.5 hours of flying without breaks (15-20 min turns). Long day! On this particular run, no breakfast is available, no lunch either! Either restaurants are not open or too far away! Another contributing factor is the aircraft. There is so much 'high technology' to this cockpit, that a lot of pilots are simply overwhelmed by the EFIS for their first 500 or so hours in the cockpit. There are many other factors, but this last I'll write about is our ATC system. The ATC system is too saturated. We small airplane drivers (anything smaller than a DC9) have become the system dampers. Once we get within 200 mi of our destination, we are worked to the maximum to fill in for a failing ATC system. On our average 35 min flts, we are getting upwards of 40 aircraft confign changes. Sometimes we will get either a speed change or altitude change before we have accomplished the original assignment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLT CREW CLIMBED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: MY COPLT WAS FLYING FROM CLEVELAND HOPKINS TO COLUMBUS, (PORT COLUMBUS) OH. SCHEDULED FLT TIME IS APPROX 25 MIN. MY COPLT HAS ONLY BEEN ON THE LINE IN THIS ACFT FOR A MONTH, AND COMES FROM A BACKGROUND OF HELI AVIATION. IN THE 20 SOME ODD MINS BETWEEN ARPTS (NOT JUST THESE 2, BUT MOST ALL OF OUR CITY PAIRS) WE GET AN OVER-ABUNDANCE OF VECTORS AND ALT CHANGES, ALT CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH XING RESTRICTIONS, AND AIRSPEED OR CONFIGN CHANGES. WE WERE CLRED TO 12,000' MSL WITH AUTOPLT ENGAGED. ALT SELECT WAS PROPERLY DIALED TO 12,000' MSL. BETWEEN OUR CHECKLISTS DEP CALLS FOR THE DEP STATION, ATIS FOR THE ARR, AND OUR IN RANGE CALL TO THE ARR STATION, IT GETS PRETTY BUSY TO DO NON FLYING AND FLYING DUTIES BOTH. I DO NOT PLACE THE BLAME ON MY F/O SQUARELY AS IF HE WAS THE 'BAD GUY'. YES HE WAS THE FLYING PLT, YES HE IS KNOWLEDGEABLE ON THE ACFT. BUT HE IS NEW TO THE ACFT AND BLINDLY HAD PLACED HIS TRUST ON THE AUTOPLT. HE DID NOT NOTICE THE SUBTLE AND QUIET WAY THE AUTOPLT HAD NOT CAPTURED THE ALT FOR LEVEL OFF. ON MY SCAN I CAUGHT THE ERROR AT 12,300'. WITH THE ROUND OUT, WE GOT TO 12,400' MSL AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR (BEING A GOOD, SHARP CTLR) WAS CALLING FOR US TO VERIFY ASSIGNED ALT. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SITUATION. ONE IS SCHEDULING. TO FLY PER THE FLT AND DUTY REGS OF 121 IS ABSURD. WE WERE 'LEGALLY' SCHEDULED TO FLY A 2-DAY TRIP. A FULL 7.5 HRS OF FLYING WITHOUT BREAKS (15-20 MIN TURNS). LONG DAY! ON THIS PARTICULAR RUN, NO BREAKFAST IS AVAILABLE, NO LUNCH EITHER! EITHER RESTAURANTS ARE NOT OPEN OR TOO FAR AWAY! ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THE ACFT. THERE IS SO MUCH 'HIGH TECHNOLOGY' TO THIS COCKPIT, THAT A LOT OF PLTS ARE SIMPLY OVERWHELMED BY THE EFIS FOR THEIR FIRST 500 OR SO HRS IN THE COCKPIT. THERE ARE MANY OTHER FACTORS, BUT THIS LAST I'LL WRITE ABOUT IS OUR ATC SYSTEM. THE ATC SYSTEM IS TOO SATURATED. WE SMALL AIRPLANE DRIVERS (ANYTHING SMALLER THAN A DC9) HAVE BECOME THE SYSTEM DAMPERS. ONCE WE GET WITHIN 200 MI OF OUR DEST, WE ARE WORKED TO THE MAX TO FILL IN FOR A FAILING ATC SYSTEM. ON OUR AVERAGE 35 MIN FLTS, WE ARE GETTING UPWARDS OF 40 ACFT CONFIGN CHANGES. SOMETIMES WE WILL GET EITHER A SPEED CHANGE OR ALT CHANGE BEFORE WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE ORIGINAL ASSIGNMENT.

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.