Medium large transport flight crew set and armed assigned altitude. First officer sees not armed and...

Attributes
ACN	136692
Time
Date	199002
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : ord
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	136692
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During climbout from ord flight was cleared to 9000' from 5000'. I, PNF, set and armed altitude on medium large transport FGS. Confirmed on FMA that altitude was armed. Passing about 7500' I looked down at chart to get frequency of next NAVAID. Aircraft was climbing rapidly. I looked back up, saw altitude alert was not armed, 10,000' was set in alert window and aircraft was passing through 9600'. I immediately armed 10,000' and wasn't sure why 10,000' was in there. As I reached up to arm 10,000' captain said, 'I'm not armed.' I started to ask him if we were cleared to 9000' or 10,000' but was interrupted by ATC to make a turn. As I responded to call, I turned mode C off of IFF and checked for possible traffic conflicts, and again started to quiz captain on assigned altitude. ATC again interrupted with another turn, and questioned our airspeed, which was building, our altitude and a request to squawk altitude. Told ATC we were at 10,000', 300 KTS. They said we were only cleared to 9000' and to slow to 250 KTS. No known conflict occurred. Incident caused by failure of PF to monitor flight mode annunciator and PNF to back him up. Also suspect captain's hand may have bumped altitude alert set knob causing it to roll to 10,000' and disarm. Should not have turned off mode C and should have interrupted and immediately quizzed ATC as to assigned altitude instead of trying to get word in to captain. Attitude was more geared to 'cover six' instead of safety. Crews in twin engine high powered aircraft should think about using 2500' or 2000' maximum rate of climb below 10,000' when hand flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CREW SET AND ARMED ASSIGNED ALT. FO SEES NOT ARMED AND HAVE CLIMBED ABOVE CLRNC ALT. TURNS OFF MODE C WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONFIRM ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: DURING CLIMBOUT FROM ORD FLT WAS CLRED TO 9000' FROM 5000'. I, PNF, SET AND ARMED ALT ON MLG FGS. CONFIRMED ON FMA THAT ALT WAS ARMED. PASSING ABOUT 7500' I LOOKED DOWN AT CHART TO GET FREQ OF NEXT NAVAID. ACFT WAS CLIMBING RAPIDLY. I LOOKED BACK UP, SAW ALT ALERT WAS NOT ARMED, 10,000' WAS SET IN ALERT WINDOW AND ACFT WAS PASSING THROUGH 9600'. I IMMEDIATELY ARMED 10,000' AND WASN'T SURE WHY 10,000' WAS IN THERE. AS I REACHED UP TO ARM 10,000' CAPT SAID, 'I'M NOT ARMED.' I STARTED TO ASK HIM IF WE WERE CLRED TO 9000' OR 10,000' BUT WAS INTERRUPTED BY ATC TO MAKE A TURN. AS I RESPONDED TO CALL, I TURNED MODE C OFF OF IFF AND CHECKED FOR POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICTS, AND AGAIN STARTED TO QUIZ CAPT ON ASSIGNED ALT. ATC AGAIN INTERRUPTED WITH ANOTHER TURN, AND QUESTIONED OUR AIRSPEED, WHICH WAS BUILDING, OUR ALT AND A REQUEST TO SQUAWK ALT. TOLD ATC WE WERE AT 10,000', 300 KTS. THEY SAID WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 9000' AND TO SLOW TO 250 KTS. NO KNOWN CONFLICT OCCURRED. INCIDENT CAUSED BY FAILURE OF PF TO MONITOR FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR AND PNF TO BACK HIM UP. ALSO SUSPECT CAPT'S HAND MAY HAVE BUMPED ALT ALERT SET KNOB CAUSING IT TO ROLL TO 10,000' AND DISARM. SHOULD NOT HAVE TURNED OFF MODE C AND SHOULD HAVE INTERRUPTED AND IMMEDIATELY QUIZZED ATC AS TO ASSIGNED ALT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET WORD IN TO CAPT. ATTITUDE WAS MORE GEARED TO 'COVER SIX' INSTEAD OF SAFETY. CREWS IN TWIN ENGINE HIGH POWERED ACFT SHOULD THINK ABOUT USING 2500' OR 2000' MAX RATE OF CLIMB BELOW 10,000' WHEN HAND FLYING.

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.

Medium large transport flight crew set and armed assigned altitude. First officer sees not armed and have climbed above clearance altitude. Turns off mode C while attempting to confirm assigned altitude.