Narrative:

I departed dea on a routine scheduled flight to ykm. We were cleared to 5000' and inadvertently went through this altitude by 2000'. My first officer was flying at the time. I was trying to identify a radar return for WX avoidance. I gave him the 1000' call required in our operations specifications but he was also involved in the radar tracking of a thunderstorm we were trying to avoid. Consequently, we flew right through our assigned altitude. The aircraft we fly are not equipped with altitude alerters which would have prevented this from happening. Recommend that aircraft like these require alerters to prevent this, which will continue to occur because we are only human. It might just save lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF COMMUTER LTT CLIMBS THROUGH THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN DISTR WITH TSTM AVOIDANCE USING WX RADAR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DEA ON A ROUTINE SCHEDULED FLT TO YKM. WE WERE CLRED TO 5000' AND INADVERTENTLY WENT THROUGH THIS ALT BY 2000'. MY F/O WAS FLYING AT THE TIME. I WAS TRYING TO IDENT A RADAR RETURN FOR WX AVOIDANCE. I GAVE HIM THE 1000' CALL REQUIRED IN OUR OPS SPECS BUT HE WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE RADAR TRACKING OF A TSTM WE WERE TRYING TO AVOID. CONSEQUENTLY, WE FLEW RIGHT THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE ACFT WE FLY ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH ALT ALERTERS WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING. RECOMMEND THAT ACFT LIKE THESE REQUIRE ALERTERS TO PREVENT THIS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY HUMAN. IT MIGHT JUST SAVE LIVES.

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.