Narrative:

Cleared runway heading maintain 5000'. After contacting departure control we were preoccupied with several minor malfunctions involving captain's radio dead, ATC transponder not responding, and WX radar for navigating around nearby thunderstorms. ATC called traffic 11 O'clock wbound at 7000' an medium large transport. I was leveling at 5000' when attention was diverted to traffic. ATC advised expect higher when clear of traffic. We reported traffic insight when I noticed altitude 5250' and climbing. I lowered nose but trajectory and inertia took us to 5450-5500' before altimeter showed descent. While returning to 5000' ATC cleared us to 12000' and maintain visual. We complied. No further incident. Contributing factors: pilot's attention diverted by traffic at critical time. Numerous minor problems with aircraft from overhaul. Pilots drafted for trip at end of day. Tired. On duty since xa:00 that day. No sleep on layover due to fire alarms going off every 1/2 hour most of night at hotel. Concern about nearby thunderstorms and trouble with radar and radios, transponder and numerous other items causing extensive takeoff delay as we cleared up each problem. I should not have taken this aircraft and flight due to our unrealized near fatigue state. I should have known better than to continue with a high problem potential aircraft at that point but we were never told the aircraft status until we showed up to pick it up. I can only accept full responsibility and see to it that it doesn't happen again. Another lesson learned. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter had been advised a test flight had been flown and all writeups corrected. Preflight uncovered any number of minor problems with the aircraft. During the flight was able to correct the more serious and on arrival made 17 log entries that needed to be addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTITUDE OVERSHOT.

Narrative: CLRED RWY HDG MAINTAIN 5000'. AFTER CONTACTING DEP CTL WE WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH SEVERAL MINOR MALFUNCTIONS INVOLVING CAPT'S RADIO DEAD, ATC TRANSPONDER NOT RESPONDING, AND WX RADAR FOR NAVIGATING AROUND NEARBY TSTMS. ATC CALLED TFC 11 O'CLOCK WBOUND AT 7000' AN MLG. I WAS LEVELING AT 5000' WHEN ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO TFC. ATC ADVISED EXPECT HIGHER WHEN CLR OF TFC. WE RPTED TFC INSIGHT WHEN I NOTICED ALT 5250' AND CLBING. I LOWERED NOSE BUT TRAJECTORY AND INERTIA TOOK US TO 5450-5500' BEFORE ALTIMETER SHOWED DSNT. WHILE RETURNING TO 5000' ATC CLRED US TO 12000' AND MAINTAIN VISUAL. WE COMPLIED. NO FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PLT'S ATTN DIVERTED BY TFC AT CRITICAL TIME. NUMEROUS MINOR PROBS WITH ACFT FROM OVERHAUL. PLTS DRAFTED FOR TRIP AT END OF DAY. TIRED. ON DUTY SINCE XA:00 THAT DAY. NO SLEEP ON LAYOVER DUE TO FIRE ALARMS GOING OFF EVERY 1/2 HOUR MOST OF NIGHT AT HOTEL. CONCERN ABOUT NEARBY TSTMS AND TROUBLE WITH RADAR AND RADIOS, XPONDER AND NUMEROUS OTHER ITEMS CAUSING EXTENSIVE TKOF DELAY AS WE CLRED UP EACH PROB. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS ACFT AND FLT DUE TO OUR UNREALIZED NEAR FATIGUE STATE. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO CONTINUE WITH A HIGH PROB POTENTIAL ACFT AT THAT POINT BUT WE WERE NEVER TOLD THE ACFT STATUS UNTIL WE SHOWED UP TO PICK IT UP. I CAN ONLY ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND SEE TO IT THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD BEEN ADVISED A TEST FLT HAD BEEN FLOWN AND ALL WRITEUPS CORRECTED. PREFLT UNCOVERED ANY NUMBER OF MINOR PROBS WITH THE ACFT. DURING THE FLT WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE MORE SERIOUS AND ON ARR MADE 17 LOG ENTRIES THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.

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.