Commuter aircraft overshoots assigned altitude in climb at atl.

Attributes
ACN	143963
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl tower : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	143963
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	144128
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We requested and received what for us is a non standard tower to tower clearance from atl to mgm, climb and maintain 4000', expect 10000. When 11 DME from the atl VORTAC the controller asked us our altitude as we were going through 5000'. Leveled at 5000' and said to the departure controller he thought we had been cleared to 10000'. We had not. The departure controller said to maintain 5000'. We did not hear him give any immediate headings or altitudes to other aircraft so we thought there was no immediate conflict. We subsequently climbed to 10000' and continued the flight west/O incident. My captain had just upgraded from first officer on our company's part 121 aircraft, which had an altitude alerter installed. Evidently he had subconsciously become dependent on that device because all he has to do as the PF is maintain heading, altitude and airspeed. I was heads down in the cockpit writing down the departure times in the utilization log instead of monitoring my captain's performance. This is my second altitude bust in 10 months with this commuter, and both times the captain was flying. Both times I was heads down doing paperwork required by the company, or talking to the company on the second radio. From now on, I will only talk to the company once we are at cruising altitude. I was an fgt wso for 10 yrs and never had an altitude bust. I have been with this commuter for 10 months and I've had 2! If the capts I fly with aren't going to concentrate on flying and stop being so blase about the whole thing, it is destined to happen again. I am frustrated. I don't want to be violated and become unemployable by a major airline. I thought after the first altitude bust it would never happen again, but it did and I allowed myself to be distracted just like the first time. The bottom line is that I have to watch these fallible human beings like a hawk. Supplemental information from acn 144128: I was climbing to 10000' as I thought was had been cleared. This type of occurrence could, I think, be almost eliminated by the mandatory installation of an altitude alerting system in commuter aircraft operating under far 135.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT IN CLIMB AT ATL.

Narrative: WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED WHAT FOR US IS A NON STANDARD TWR TO TWR CLRNC FROM ATL TO MGM, CLB AND MAINTAIN 4000', EXPECT 10000. WHEN 11 DME FROM THE ATL VORTAC THE CTLR ASKED US OUR ALT AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH 5000'. LEVELED AT 5000' AND SAID TO THE DEP CTLR HE THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 10000'. WE HAD NOT. THE DEP CTLR SAID TO MAINTAIN 5000'. WE DID NOT HEAR HIM GIVE ANY IMMEDIATE HDGS OR ALTS TO OTHER ACFT SO WE THOUGHT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE CONFLICT. WE SUBSEQUENTLY CLBED TO 10000' AND CONTINUED THE FLT W/O INCIDENT. MY CAPT HAD JUST UPGRADED FROM F/O ON OUR COMPANY'S PART 121 ACFT, WHICH HAD AN ALT ALERTER INSTALLED. EVIDENTLY HE HAD SUBCONSCIOUSLY BECOME DEPENDENT ON THAT DEVICE BECAUSE ALL HE HAS TO DO AS THE PF IS MAINTAIN HDG, ALT AND AIRSPD. I WAS HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT WRITING DOWN THE DEP TIMES IN THE UTILIZATION LOG INSTEAD OF MONITORING MY CAPT'S PERFORMANCE. THIS IS MY SECOND ALT BUST IN 10 MONTHS WITH THIS COMMUTER, AND BOTH TIMES THE CAPT WAS FLYING. BOTH TIMES I WAS HEADS DOWN DOING PAPERWORK REQUIRED BY THE COMPANY, OR TALKING TO THE COMPANY ON THE SECOND RADIO. FROM NOW ON, I WILL ONLY TALK TO THE COMPANY ONCE WE ARE AT CRUISING ALT. I WAS AN FGT WSO FOR 10 YRS AND NEVER HAD AN ALT BUST. I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS COMMUTER FOR 10 MONTHS AND I'VE HAD 2! IF THE CAPTS I FLY WITH AREN'T GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING AND STOP BEING SO BLASE ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, IT IS DESTINED TO HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM FRUSTRATED. I DON'T WANT TO BE VIOLATED AND BECOME UNEMPLOYABLE BY A MAJOR AIRLINE. I THOUGHT AFTER THE FIRST ALT BUST IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT IT DID AND I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I HAVE TO WATCH THESE FALLIBLE HUMAN BEINGS LIKE A HAWK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 144128: I WAS CLBING TO 10000' AS I THOUGHT WAS HAD BEEN CLRED. THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE COULD, I THINK, BE ALMOST ELIMINATED BY THE MANDATORY INSTALLATION OF AN ALT ALERTING SYS IN COMMUTER ACFT OPERATING UNDER FAR 135.

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.