Narrative:

Departing ack runway 33, I inadvertently climbed through my assigned altitude (2000' MSL) and did not notice until 2500' MSL. Coming off 1 week sick leave (flu) on my second leg of the night, good WX, aircraft fine, familiar copilot. We discussed engine out procedures as part of the pretkof review. No other traffic in air traffic area or within 10 mi (estimated). Cleared for takeoff by ack tower. Climbed out steeply (1500 FPM) with steep gradient for noise abatement climbing out directly over town of nantucket. Delay (longer than normal) in handoff by ack tower to cape approach. I noticed this and queried ack tower. They asked us to switch to cape. Captain had training underway (I assume--quite normal for them). Training controller was calling us when we switched. We reported out of 2700' and he told us to climb to 6000'. This is when I realized we had gone through our clearance assigned 2000' MSL. ATC (cape) did not query us. Flight proceeded normally west/O further incident to bos. Contributing factors: copilot's inattn--standard callouts for our airline are '1000',' and '100' to go;' late ack tower handoff and resultant communication confusion; and lack of any altitude alert system in aircraft (they have been removed). Finally, I have caught myself and coplts of all backgrounds and experience making simple but possibly dangerous errors due to fatigue. Common in commuter flying are long duty days, multiple legs and low level IFR in very congested airspace. In hand-flown, non autoplt/flight director/pressurized equipment while giving 'dual' to 1000 hour new coplts. I can only see a series of fatal commuter accidents as the venue to change the FAA mandated duty and flight time limitations. By the fourteenth hour and tenth leg of '200 and 1/2' all day, with 'reduced rest' ahead of you, neither pilot really gives a damn. Safe? No, of course not. Everyday reality? Unfortunately, yes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT BUST ON INITIAL CLIMB, COMMUTER FLT CREW.

Narrative: DEPARTING ACK RWY 33, I INADVERTENTLY CLBED THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT (2000' MSL) AND DID NOT NOTICE UNTIL 2500' MSL. COMING OFF 1 WK SICK LEAVE (FLU) ON MY SECOND LEG OF THE NIGHT, GOOD WX, ACFT FINE, FAMILIAR COPLT. WE DISCUSSED ENG OUT PROCS AS PART OF THE PRETKOF REVIEW. NO OTHER TFC IN ATA OR WITHIN 10 MI (ESTIMATED). CLRED FOR TKOF BY ACK TWR. CLBED OUT STEEPLY (1500 FPM) WITH STEEP GRADIENT FOR NOISE ABATEMENT CLBING OUT DIRECTLY OVER TOWN OF NANTUCKET. DELAY (LONGER THAN NORMAL) IN HDOF BY ACK TWR TO CAPE APCH. I NOTICED THIS AND QUERIED ACK TWR. THEY ASKED US TO SWITCH TO CAPE. CAPT HAD TRNING UNDERWAY (I ASSUME--QUITE NORMAL FOR THEM). TRNING CTLR WAS CALLING US WHEN WE SWITCHED. WE RPTED OUT OF 2700' AND HE TOLD US TO CLB TO 6000'. THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED WE HAD GONE THROUGH OUR CLRNC ASSIGNED 2000' MSL. ATC (CAPE) DID NOT QUERY US. FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY W/O FURTHER INCIDENT TO BOS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: COPLT'S INATTN--STANDARD CALLOUTS FOR OUR AIRLINE ARE '1000',' AND '100' TO GO;' LATE ACK TWR HDOF AND RESULTANT COM CONFUSION; AND LACK OF ANY ALT ALERT SYS IN ACFT (THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED). FINALLY, I HAVE CAUGHT MYSELF AND COPLTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCE MAKING SIMPLE BUT POSSIBLY DANGEROUS ERRORS DUE TO FATIGUE. COMMON IN COMMUTER FLYING ARE LONG DUTY DAYS, MULTIPLE LEGS AND LOW LEVEL IFR IN VERY CONGESTED AIRSPACE. IN HAND-FLOWN, NON AUTOPLT/FLT DIRECTOR/PRESSURIZED EQUIP WHILE GIVING 'DUAL' TO 1000 HR NEW COPLTS. I CAN ONLY SEE A SERIES OF FATAL COMMUTER ACCIDENTS AS THE VENUE TO CHANGE THE FAA MANDATED DUTY AND FLT TIME LIMITATIONS. BY THE FOURTEENTH HR AND TENTH LEG OF '200 AND 1/2' ALL DAY, WITH 'REDUCED REST' AHEAD OF YOU, NEITHER PLT REALLY GIVES A DAMN. SAFE? NO, OF COURSE NOT. EVERYDAY REALITY? UNFORTUNATELY, YES.

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.