Narrative:

After taking off out of atlanta, we climbed through rain showers and turbulence. Our cleared altitude was 23000 ft. I was working the radio and was trying to hear center give someone a frequency change. The controller kept cutting out during different parts of his transmission. It took 3 tries before I understood that the frequency change was for us and what the frequency was. As I was changing frequencys the TCASII system announced a resolution advisory to descend. I glanced at the altimeter and saw that the altitude was just under 23300 ft and that there was an aircraft on the TCASII within 3 or 4 mi showing 800 ft higher than we were. The captain immediately started a descent back to 23000 ft. Within 2 or 3 seconds the controller called and asked our altitude. After discussing the incident with the captain, he told me that he knew we were to level off at 23000 ft. We had been climbing through rain showers and turbulence and had just popped out of the clouds. He decided to advise the flight attendants, who had been seated because of the turbulence, that it was ok to get up, and this added distraction kept him from leveling off in time. The problems which caused this incident are not unusual. Distrs caused by WX, ATC communications, and insuring the safety of the cabin crew, all work to take attention away from the primary task -- flying the airplane. It probably could have been avoided by having the PNF doing all of the PNF duties, including talking on the interphone to the flight attendants.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEV OVERSHOT DURING CLB OUT FROM ATL.

Narrative: AFTER TAKING OFF OUT OF ATLANTA, WE CLBED THROUGH RAIN SHOWERS AND TURB. OUR CLRED ALT WAS 23000 FT. I WAS WORKING THE RADIO AND WAS TRYING TO HEAR CENTER GIVE SOMEONE A FREQ CHANGE. THE CTLR KEPT CUTTING OUT DURING DIFFERENT PARTS OF HIS XMISSION. IT TOOK 3 TRIES BEFORE I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE FREQ CHANGE WAS FOR US AND WHAT THE FREQ WAS. AS I WAS CHANGING FREQS THE TCASII SYS ANNOUNCED A RESOLUTION ADVISORY TO DSND. I GLANCED AT THE ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT THE ALT WAS JUST UNDER 23300 FT AND THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE TCASII WITHIN 3 OR 4 MI SHOWING 800 FT HIGHER THAN WE WERE. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY STARTED A DSCNT BACK TO 23000 FT. WITHIN 2 OR 3 SECONDS THE CTLR CALLED AND ASKED OUR ALT. AFTER DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT WITH THE CAPT, HE TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW WE WERE TO LEVEL OFF AT 23000 FT. WE HAD BEEN CLBING THROUGH RAIN SHOWERS AND TURB AND HAD JUST POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS. HE DECIDED TO ADVISE THE FLT ATTENDANTS, WHO HAD BEEN SEATED BECAUSE OF THE TURB, THAT IT WAS OK TO GET UP, AND THIS ADDED DISTR KEPT HIM FROM LEVELING OFF IN TIME. THE PROBLEMS WHICH CAUSED THIS INCIDENT ARE NOT UNUSUAL. DISTRS CAUSED BY WX, ATC COMS, AND INSURING THE SAFETY OF THE CABIN CREW, ALL WORK TO TAKE ATTN AWAY FROM THE PRIMARY TASK -- FLYING THE AIRPLANE. IT PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY HAVING THE PNF DOING ALL OF THE PNF DUTIES, INCLUDING TALKING ON THE INTERPHONE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.