Narrative:

After departing wilkes barre airport in PA, in an light transport, departure control handed us over to ZNY. ZNY gave us instructions to climb to 12000' and gave us a traffic report at our 2 moving to 12 O'clock position. We were approximately 9000' at the time. During our climb I switched radios from #1 to #2 so I could inform our station of our takeoff time for flight plan purposes. I informed the first officer who was the PF at the time, 'you've got the #1, I'm going to company.' (a standard call made when switching radios.) as our climb continued, the F/a came forward to the cockpit and began talking into the first officer's ear. Later I found out a passenger said she saw a hole in the right engine and fluid was coming out (which proved to be nonsense). But all this took place as we climbed right through 12000'. ZNY then told us to descend immediately back down to 12000'. We were at 12800'. We descended and leveled off at 12000'. After approximately 4 mins we saw the traffic crossing from right to left, at their assigned altitude of 13000'. There wasn't a conflict, but possibly could have been. The traffic was a group of 6 or 7 military aircraft in formation. The flight conditions were clear and unrestricted visibility. We had more than enough time to call the traffic, and we did when we saw them. The first officer had the autoplt on and I had 12000' set in the altitude preselect window. But the altitude arm function must not have been selected, because the aircraft passed right through 12000'. Both pilots were distracted with other duties. The obvious was overlooked: fly the aircraft!!! We let the other duties interfere with our control of the aircraft. I feel it was a classic example of planned and unplanned consequences combined to create an unsafe condition or potential accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LTT IN CLIMB EXCEEDED ASSIGNED ALT BY 800' BUT DESCENDED BACK TO 12000' ASSIGNED IN TIME TO AVOID FLT OF MTR AT 13000'.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING WILKES BARRE ARPT IN PA, IN AN LTT, DEP CTL HANDED US OVER TO ZNY. ZNY GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 12000' AND GAVE US A TFC RPT AT OUR 2 MOVING TO 12 O'CLOCK POS. WE WERE APPROX 9000' AT THE TIME. DURING OUR CLB I SWITCHED RADIOS FROM #1 TO #2 SO I COULD INFORM OUR STATION OF OUR TKOF TIME FOR FLT PLAN PURPOSES. I INFORMED THE F/O WHO WAS THE PF AT THE TIME, 'YOU'VE GOT THE #1, I'M GOING TO COMPANY.' (A STANDARD CALL MADE WHEN SWITCHING RADIOS.) AS OUR CLB CONTINUED, THE F/A CAME FORWARD TO THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN TALKING INTO THE F/O'S EAR. LATER I FOUND OUT A PAX SAID SHE SAW A HOLE IN THE RIGHT ENG AND FLUID WAS COMING OUT (WHICH PROVED TO BE NONSENSE). BUT ALL THIS TOOK PLACE AS WE CLBED RIGHT THROUGH 12000'. ZNY THEN TOLD US TO DSND IMMEDIATELY BACK DOWN TO 12000'. WE WERE AT 12800'. WE DSNDED AND LEVELED OFF AT 12000'. AFTER APPROX 4 MINS WE SAW THE TFC XING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, AT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF 13000'. THERE WASN'T A CONFLICT, BUT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN. THE TFC WAS A GROUP OF 6 OR 7 MIL ACFT IN FORMATION. THE FLT CONDITIONS WERE CLR AND UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITY. WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO CALL THE TFC, AND WE DID WHEN WE SAW THEM. THE F/O HAD THE AUTOPLT ON AND I HAD 12000' SET IN THE ALT PRESELECT WINDOW. BUT THE ALT ARM FUNCTION MUST NOT HAVE BEEN SELECTED, BECAUSE THE ACFT PASSED RIGHT THROUGH 12000'. BOTH PLTS WERE DISTRACTED WITH OTHER DUTIES. THE OBVIOUS WAS OVERLOOKED: FLY THE ACFT!!! WE LET THE OTHER DUTIES INTERFERE WITH OUR CTL OF THE ACFT. I FEEL IT WAS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF PLANNED AND UNPLANNED CONSEQUENCES COMBINED TO CREATE AN UNSAFE CONDITION OR POTENTIAL ACCIDENT.

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.