Narrative:

Climbing out of 1300' after takeoff from mem the tail comp temperature hi light illuminated. I was the PNF so I ran the emergency checklist and talked to departure about returning to the field. We were vectored to the downwind to runway 18R and given a climb clearance to 4000'. Departure handed us over to approach control who gave us a descent to 3500' due to VFR traffic at 3000'. About this time the red master warning and tail comp temperature high light illuminated again. We again went through the emergency procedures, the light would not extinguish, the captain told me to declare an emergency. About this time, approach control advised us that we had flown through our altitude and our traffic was at 9 O'clock. We declared our emergency and reported seeing the traffic in which no evasive action was needed. We requested the equipment and made an uneventful landing. In summary, the workload in an medium large transport is extremely heavy in such a situation added to this is a very high radio workload. All within a few mins. When complying with all checklists (approach, landing abnormal) talking on the radio and changing frequencys it is very difficult to keep your head out of the cockpit. A solution would be to request and receive priority handling when any return to the airport is needed regardless of how serious the problem is.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ACFT EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION CAUSES RETURN LAND DURING WHICH THE FLT CREW OVERSHOT ALT AND CAUSED CLOSE PROX WITH VFR ACFT IN THE AREA.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF 1300' AFTER TKOF FROM MEM THE TAIL COMP TEMP HI LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I WAS THE PNF SO I RAN THE EMER CHKLIST AND TALKED TO DEP ABOUT RETURNING TO THE FIELD. WE WERE VECTORED TO THE DOWNWIND TO RWY 18R AND GIVEN A CLB CLRNC TO 4000'. DEP HANDED US OVER TO APCH CTL WHO GAVE US A DSCNT TO 3500' DUE TO VFR TFC AT 3000'. ABOUT THIS TIME THE RED MASTER WARNING AND TAIL COMP TEMP HIGH LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. WE AGAIN WENT THROUGH THE EMER PROCS, THE LIGHT WOULD NOT EXTINGUISH, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO DECLARE AN EMER. ABOUT THIS TIME, APCH CTL ADVISED US THAT WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH OUR ALT AND OUR TFC WAS AT 9 O'CLOCK. WE DECLARED OUR EMER AND RPTED SEEING THE TFC IN WHICH NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS NEEDED. WE REQUESTED THE EQUIP AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IN SUMMARY, THE WORKLOAD IN AN MLG IS EXTREMELY HVY IN SUCH A SITUATION ADDED TO THIS IS A VERY HIGH RADIO WORKLOAD. ALL WITHIN A FEW MINS. WHEN COMPLYING WITH ALL CHKLISTS (APCH, LNDG ABNORMAL) TALKING ON THE RADIO AND CHANGING FREQS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE COCKPIT. A SOLUTION WOULD BE TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING WHEN ANY RETURN TO THE ARPT IS NEEDED REGARDLESS OF HOW SERIOUS THE PROB IS.

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.