Narrative:

On departure we were assigned heading 180 and 6000. Conflicting traffic was called out by cleveland departure control 118.9 at 7000 ft at 2 O'clock. Layer of broken clouds at 6000 ft. We were just below layer and other traffic just above. Our TCASII alert went off about 10 seconds before we visually acquired traffic. (There was no command to alter course, climb or descend, only 'traffic, traffic'.) I made the standard 1000 ft below call at 5000 ft and was simultaneously running the after takeoff checklist. I called altitude and put my hands on the yoke at about 6200-6300 ft. The captain was already 'pushing over' to descend rapidly. We hit 6400 ft (maximum) and then descended rapidly. The conflicting aircraft crossed overhead at 7000 ft and we were at 6000-6100 ft. Factors contributing to conflict: captain was hand flying the aircraft (autoplt was available but not in use because the automatic throttles were inoperative). Altitude alert was armed and went off per operations specification at 6250 ft. My (first officer's) flight mode annunciator (FMA) altitude window was placarded inoperative. The aircraft was extremely light (108000 pounds, 54 passenger, 54 min flight, light fuel load). Our rate of climb, because of the weight, had been in excess of 3000 FPM. Normally, with automatic throttles on, they automatically cut back just prior to altitude level off. Manual throttles don't. We were distracted, ie, busy looking for the conflicting traffic (because TCASII had just gone off) right about level off altitude of 6000 ft. That, combined with a high rate of climb, no automatic throttle cutback, no first officer FMA altitude window readout, and a checklist in progress, contributed to the altitude overshoot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT FLYING MLG OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT. TFC SHOWN ON TCASII AS TA. CAPT WRESTLED THE ACFT BACK TO 6000 MSL. TFC PASSED APPROX 800 HIGHER AND 2 MI.

Narrative: ON DEP WE WERE ASSIGNED HDG 180 AND 6000. CONFLICTING TFC WAS CALLED OUT BY CLEVELAND DEP CTL 118.9 AT 7000 FT AT 2 O'CLOCK. LAYER OF BROKEN CLOUDS AT 6000 FT. WE WERE JUST BELOW LAYER AND OTHER TFC JUST ABOVE. OUR TCASII ALERT WENT OFF ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE WE VISUALLY ACQUIRED TFC. (THERE WAS NO COMMAND TO ALTER COURSE, CLB OR DSND, ONLY 'TFC, TFC'.) I MADE THE STANDARD 1000 FT BELOW CALL AT 5000 FT AND WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY RUNNING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. I CALLED ALT AND PUT MY HANDS ON THE YOKE AT ABOUT 6200-6300 FT. THE CAPT WAS ALREADY 'PUSHING OVER' TO DSND RAPIDLY. WE HIT 6400 FT (MAX) AND THEN DSNDED RAPIDLY. THE CONFLICTING ACFT CROSSED OVERHEAD AT 7000 FT AND WE WERE AT 6000-6100 FT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CONFLICT: CAPT WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT (AUTOPLT WAS AVAILABLE BUT NOT IN USE BECAUSE THE AUTO THROTTLES WERE INOP). ALT ALERT WAS ARMED AND WENT OFF PER OPS SPEC AT 6250 FT. MY (FO'S) FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR (FMA) ALT WINDOW WAS PLACARDED INOP. THE ACFT WAS EXTREMELY LIGHT (108000 POUNDS, 54 PAX, 54 MIN FLT, LIGHT FUEL LOAD). OUR RATE OF CLB, BECAUSE OF THE WT, HAD BEEN IN EXCESS OF 3000 FPM. NORMALLY, WITH AUTO THROTTLES ON, THEY AUTOMATICALLY CUT BACK JUST PRIOR TO ALT LEVEL OFF. MANUAL THROTTLES DON'T. WE WERE DISTRACTED, IE, BUSY LOOKING FOR THE CONFLICTING TFC (BECAUSE TCASII HAD JUST GONE OFF) RIGHT ABOUT LEVEL OFF ALT OF 6000 FT. THAT, COMBINED WITH A HIGH RATE OF CLB, NO AUTO THROTTLE CUTBACK, NO FO FMA ALT WINDOW READOUT, AND A CHKLIST IN PROGRESS, CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALT OVERSHOOT.

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.