Narrative:

I was the captain of flight on approach to dca. I was flying aircraft which had belonged to air carrier Y and was configured differently from the company model I had been originally trained on. My differences training had been approximately 6 months ago with most recent training (approximately 1 month ago) consisting of a handout and an optional slide-tape presentation. My only other actual operating experience in this model had been 1 leg flown from pit to cle on 1/90. I had configured the flight director and autoplt to fly the approach. We intercepted the localizer for 36 at dca in a normal fashion at approximately 2400' and I reconfirmed with the copilot that the flight director and autoplt were configured properly to execute a normal ILS approach to runway 36 at dca. We were then cleared to 1600' and cleared for the approach. I began to be concerned about the G/south indications I was getting on my cockpit INS and started to double-check the way the flight director and autoplt were set to shoot the approach. This took longer than normal as both of these system were new to me, this being really the first full day of flying this model. As I was checking my INS the dca tower said our missed approach instructions would be to intercept the dca 328 degree right and climb and maintain 3000'. This seemed unusual and I asked the copilot to find out if dca wanted us to make the miss. The copilot asked and was told by tower that since we were almost over the field, it probably would be the best thing to do, as we were still at 1600' MSL. I immediately called for a missed approach and in trying to perform the maneuver and tune and dial in the proper VOR frequency, and at the same time turn the aircraft to avoid the restriction area ahead of us (all this being done in an aircraft with a different cockpit confign), the normal teamwork and adherence to procedure broke down somewhat and consequently we climbed through our assigned 3000' missed approach altitude, so the tower cleared us to 4000'. After being given a couple of vectors, we were turned over to approach again where we shot another ILS approach. This time I turned the autoplt off and shot the approach manually to a normal landing west/O further incident. I called the tower after our arrival by phone and was told by a tower operator that there was no problem with the higher altitude, as that airspace was protected to 6000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OVERSHOT IAP ILS APCH INTO DCA TRYING TO USE AUTOPLT THEN OVERSHOT ALT DURING GO AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT ON APCH TO DCA. I WAS FLYING ACFT WHICH HAD BELONGED TO ACR Y AND WAS CONFIGURED DIFFERENTLY FROM THE COMPANY MODEL I HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY TRAINED ON. MY DIFFERENCES TRNING HAD BEEN APPROX 6 MONTHS AGO WITH MOST RECENT TRNING (APPROX 1 MONTH AGO) CONSISTING OF A HANDOUT AND AN OPTIONAL SLIDE-TAPE PRESENTATION. MY ONLY OTHER ACTUAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE IN THIS MODEL HAD BEEN 1 LEG FLOWN FROM PIT TO CLE ON 1/90. I HAD CONFIGURED THE FLT DIRECTOR AND AUTOPLT TO FLY THE APCH. WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC FOR 36 AT DCA IN A NORMAL FASHION AT APPROX 2400' AND I RECONFIRMED WITH THE COPLT THAT THE FLT DIRECTOR AND AUTOPLT WERE CONFIGURED PROPERLY TO EXECUTE A NORMAL ILS APCH TO RWY 36 AT DCA. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 1600' AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. I BEGAN TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE G/S INDICATIONS I WAS GETTING ON MY COCKPIT INS AND STARTED TO DOUBLE-CHK THE WAY THE FLT DIRECTOR AND AUTOPLT WERE SET TO SHOOT THE APCH. THIS TOOK LONGER THAN NORMAL AS BOTH OF THESE SYS WERE NEW TO ME, THIS BEING REALLY THE FIRST FULL DAY OF FLYING THIS MODEL. AS I WAS CHKING MY INS THE DCA TWR SAID OUR MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE TO INTERCEPT THE DCA 328 DEG R AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000'. THIS SEEMED UNUSUAL AND I ASKED THE COPLT TO FIND OUT IF DCA WANTED US TO MAKE THE MISS. THE COPLT ASKED AND WAS TOLD BY TWR THAT SINCE WE WERE ALMOST OVER THE FIELD, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE THE BEST THING TO DO, AS WE WERE STILL AT 1600' MSL. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR A MISSED APCH AND IN TRYING TO PERFORM THE MANEUVER AND TUNE AND DIAL IN THE PROPER VOR FREQ, AND AT THE SAME TIME TURN THE ACFT TO AVOID THE RESTRICTION AREA AHEAD OF US (ALL THIS BEING DONE IN AN ACFT WITH A DIFFERENT COCKPIT CONFIGN), THE NORMAL TEAMWORK AND ADHERENCE TO PROC BROKE DOWN SOMEWHAT AND CONSEQUENTLY WE CLBED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED 3000' MISSED APCH ALT, SO THE TWR CLRED US TO 4000'. AFTER BEING GIVEN A COUPLE OF VECTORS, WE WERE TURNED OVER TO APCH AGAIN WHERE WE SHOT ANOTHER ILS APCH. THIS TIME I TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND SHOT THE APCH MANUALLY TO A NORMAL LNDG W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I CALLED THE TWR AFTER OUR ARR BY PHONE AND WAS TOLD BY A TWR OPERATOR THAT THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THE HIGHER ALT, AS THAT AIRSPACE WAS PROTECTED TO 6000'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.