Narrative:

Last segment of a 3-DAY trip. Short layover the night before (9 1/2 hours) due to late arrival at layover city. Crew meal that morning a.M. Of cereal,yogurt, banana. Then flew 2 legs with no time to eat in between because of ATC delays. So, buy pm:30, we were leaving slc tired and hungry. Also, this was my first trip after 24 days of vacation. On every previous leg, departure controllers kept us going up before hitting the first assigned altitude, and the plane on every previous leg had a different eries flight guidance computer and an audible altitude alert (700' prior to reaching altitude) feature. We departed slc after 15 mins of trying to rectify our weight and balance with operations over the radio. That problem was due to a simple miscom and we finally took the runway. It was a normal takeoff and climb out with runway heading to 8000'. We received a 10 degree course change just prior to 8000'. I reached over to et the new heading on the flight guidance computer and adjust the airspeed, but had to spend a few seconds searching for the right buttons on the different computer panel. There was no audio altitude alert feature prior to reaching altitude on this plane, and I failed to notice the aircraft hadn't captured altitude until 8500'. We started back down and then received clearance for higher altitude and continued a normal climb out. The captain was busy with radios and checklists during this and I think the above-mentioned performance factors affected our scan and ability to prioritize tasks during that takeoff/departure. Supplemental information from acn 141150: the flight was from slc to den with an air carrier inspector occupying the jump seat. The copilot was flying and confirmed the clearance was to climb to 8000'. The copilot started to level at 8000', so I diverted my attention to watching for traffic and finishing the after takeoff checklist. The next thing I new the altitude warning sounded and we were climbing through 8500'. I quickly asked departure for a higher altitude and it was granted. Obviously a major error occurred. I did learn it is important to backup the person flying. Just because he starts to level doesn't always mean it will be accomplished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: LAST SEGMENT OF A 3-DAY TRIP. SHORT LAYOVER THE NIGHT BEFORE (9 1/2 HRS) DUE TO LATE ARR AT LAYOVER CITY. CREW MEAL THAT MORNING A.M. OF CEREAL,YOGURT, BANANA. THEN FLEW 2 LEGS WITH NO TIME TO EAT IN BTWN BECAUSE OF ATC DELAYS. SO, BUY PM:30, WE WERE LEAVING SLC TIRED AND HUNGRY. ALSO, THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP AFTER 24 DAYS OF VACATION. ON EVERY PREVIOUS LEG, DEP CTLRS KEPT US GOING UP BEFORE HITTING THE FIRST ASSIGNED ALT, AND THE PLANE ON EVERY PREVIOUS LEG HAD A DIFFERENT ERIES FLT GUIDANCE COMPUTER AND AN AUDIBLE ALT ALERT (700' PRIOR TO REACHING ALT) FEATURE. WE DEPARTED SLC AFTER 15 MINS OF TRYING TO RECTIFY OUR WT AND BAL WITH OPS OVER THE RADIO. THAT PROB WAS DUE TO A SIMPLE MISCOM AND WE FINALLY TOOK THE RWY. IT WAS A NORMAL TKOF AND CLBOUT WITH RWY HDG TO 8000'. WE RECEIVED A 10 DEG COURSE CHANGE JUST PRIOR TO 8000'. I REACHED OVER TO ET THE NEW HDG ON THE FLT GUIDANCE COMPUTER AND ADJUST THE AIRSPD, BUT HAD TO SPEND A FEW SECS SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT BUTTONS ON THE DIFFERENT COMPUTER PANEL. THERE WAS NO AUDIO ALT ALERT FEATURE PRIOR TO REACHING ALT ON THIS PLANE, AND I FAILED TO NOTICE THE ACFT HADN'T CAPTURED ALT UNTIL 8500'. WE STARTED BACK DOWN AND THEN RECEIVED CLRNC FOR HIGHER ALT AND CONTINUED A NORMAL CLBOUT. THE CAPT WAS BUSY WITH RADIOS AND CHKLISTS DURING THIS AND I THINK THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PERFORMANCE FACTORS AFFECTED OUR SCAN AND ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE TASKS DURING THAT TKOF/DEP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 141150: THE FLT WAS FROM SLC TO DEN WITH AN ACR INSPECTOR OCCUPYING THE JUMP SEAT. THE COPLT WAS FLYING AND CONFIRMED THE CLRNC WAS TO CLB TO 8000'. THE COPLT STARTED TO LEVEL AT 8000', SO I DIVERTED MY ATTN TO WATCHING FOR TFC AND FINISHING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. THE NEXT THING I NEW THE ALT WARNING SOUNDED AND WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 8500'. I QUICKLY ASKED DEP FOR A HIGHER ALT AND IT WAS GRANTED. OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR ERROR OCCURRED. I DID LEARN IT IS IMPORTANT TO BACKUP THE PERSON FLYING. JUST BECAUSE HE STARTS TO LEVEL DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN IT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED.

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.