Narrative:

The captain was flying the aircraft using the autoplt and the managed navigation features of the aircraft. Passing approximately 4000' departure cleared us to climb to 11000', expedite the climb and contact dulles approach. I checked in with dulles. Dulles then cleared us to climb to 17000'. We accomplished the climb checklist between 10000'-11000' and I switched to the company frequency to make a departure report. Before I could call company dulles cleared us to contact washington center. I checked in with washington center and again switched back to the company frequency. Before I completed the departure report center cleared us to turn right to a 350 degree heading intercept J-518 and assume our own navigation. I acknowledged the heading and clearance change and immediately switched back to company to complete the report. As soon as I was done the captain said we wouldn't intercept the arwy. I assumed he meant the 350 degree heading would intercept the arwy east of the first waypoint (buffr) programmed into the computer. I said we could put balance VORTAC into the flight plan and intercept the arwy into buffr. He said that wouldn't work, I then saw our heading was still 300 degree, not the 350 degree assigned and said we should be on a 350 degree heading to intercept. About then center called and assigned a heading of 010 degree to intercept the arwy, which we turned to. The captain completed programming the computer and went to managed navigation for the intercept. We reset the altimeters at 18000' but I did not catch the fact that we had climbed through 17000'. At 19000' center asked what altitude we were cleared to. I responded FL350, which was set into the altitude alerter. Center told us to level off at FL200 and then shortly thereafter told us to descend to 17000'. The flight continued on uneventfully. In retrospect I realize I was in too much of a hurry to complete the departure report and did not check to see that the captain turned the proper knob. After I completed the departure report I devoted all my attention to the problem of reprogramming the computer flight plan. This incident could have been prevented by better coordination and xchk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG FAILS TO ABIDE BY ATC VECTOR TO INTERCEPT AN ARWY, AND FAILS TO STOP THEIR CLIMB AT 17000' AS INSTRUCTED DUE TO COMPANY RADIO CALLS AND COMPUTER PROGRAMMING DISTRACTIONS.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT USING THE AUTOPLT AND THE MANAGED NAV FEATURES OF THE ACFT. PASSING APPROX 4000' DEP CLRED US TO CLB TO 11000', EXPEDITE THE CLB AND CONTACT DULLES APCH. I CHKED IN WITH DULLES. DULLES THEN CLRED US TO CLB TO 17000'. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE CLB CHKLIST BTWN 10000'-11000' AND I SWITCHED TO THE COMPANY FREQ TO MAKE A DEP RPT. BEFORE I COULD CALL COMPANY DULLES CLRED US TO CONTACT WASHINGTON CTR. I CHKED IN WITH WASHINGTON CTR AND AGAIN SWITCHED BACK TO THE COMPANY FREQ. BEFORE I COMPLETED THE DEP RPT CTR CLRED US TO TURN R TO A 350 DEG HDG INTERCEPT J-518 AND ASSUME OUR OWN NAV. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE HDG AND CLRNC CHANGE AND IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO COMPANY TO COMPLETE THE RPT. AS SOON AS I WAS DONE THE CAPT SAID WE WOULDN'T INTERCEPT THE ARWY. I ASSUMED HE MEANT THE 350 DEG HDG WOULD INTERCEPT THE ARWY E OF THE FIRST WAYPOINT (BUFFR) PROGRAMMED INTO THE COMPUTER. I SAID WE COULD PUT BAL VORTAC INTO THE FLT PLAN AND INTERCEPT THE ARWY INTO BUFFR. HE SAID THAT WOULDN'T WORK, I THEN SAW OUR HDG WAS STILL 300 DEG, NOT THE 350 DEG ASSIGNED AND SAID WE SHOULD BE ON A 350 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT. ABOUT THEN CTR CALLED AND ASSIGNED A HDG OF 010 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE ARWY, WHICH WE TURNED TO. THE CAPT COMPLETED PROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER AND WENT TO MANAGED NAV FOR THE INTERCEPT. WE RESET THE ALTIMETERS AT 18000' BUT I DID NOT CATCH THE FACT THAT WE HAD CLBED THROUGH 17000'. AT 19000' CTR ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE CLRED TO. I RESPONDED FL350, WHICH WAS SET INTO THE ALT ALERTER. CTR TOLD US TO LEVEL OFF AT FL200 AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER TOLD US TO DSND TO 17000'. THE FLT CONTINUED ON UNEVENTFULLY. IN RETROSPECT I REALIZE I WAS IN TOO MUCH OF A HURRY TO COMPLETE THE DEP RPT AND DID NOT CHK TO SEE THAT THE CAPT TURNED THE PROPER KNOB. AFTER I COMPLETED THE DEP RPT I DEVOTED ALL MY ATTN TO THE PROB OF REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY BETTER COORD AND XCHK.

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.