Altitude deviation altitude overshot.

Attributes
ACN	190300
Time
Date	199109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa airport : trk
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 1240 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	190300
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Departed truckee, ca, maintenance facility after replacing old (leaking) tip tank. New tank initially leaked but after placing new seals and ground testing it showed no evidence of leaks. Takeoff was uneventful and we climbed to the squaw valley VOR, crossing at approximately 12000 ft. There we contacted oakland center to open our IFR flight plan to van nuys, ca. The plane was being flown by a copilot in the rear seat, using his own altimeter (the aircraft is a tandem seat exmil turbo jet trainer). The copilot was up for an orientation flight and was unfamiliar with the aircraft. Crossing squaw valley VOR I pulled out a map to check the copilot calculation for heading (we were RNAV to friant VOR; not on airway V or J). Center cleared us to 19000 (final to be 2500). After passing through 1600 ft the copilot informed me of fuel streaming from the same (starboard) tip tank. We did some banking to determine the loss rate (setting sun was at that wing tip making visualization difficult). We discussed declaring an emergency. I started changing pressurization from both tips to starboard only, port only, and then off to see the effect on fuel loss. At that point, ATC said we were over our assigned 19000 ft level and to descend back to it. I took control and we descended. I also reset the altimeter to 29.92 which I had neglected to do due to all the other excitement. (The back seat altimeter is in millibar and had not been reset for flight above 18000). When my altimeter was reset it did not show more than 200 ft above assigned altitude. Then another voice on ATC gave us a phone number to be called for a 'possible pilot violation.' we continued flight without declaring emergency by using our starboard tank fuel first to minimize fuel total loss. This resulted in a somewhat left wing heavy condition midjourney, which was tiring to fly, but which had equalized by the end of the trip with a total loss estimated at less than 20 gallons, allowing plenty for IFR reserves. The problems as I saw it were #1 distraction by both pilots from 'routine' duties by a potentially catastrophic situation and #2 separate altimeters in a tandem seat aircraft without timely resetting of such due to #1.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEV ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: DEPARTED TRUCKEE, CA, MAINT FACILITY AFTER REPLACING OLD (LEAKING) TIP TANK. NEW TANK INITIALLY LEAKED BUT AFTER PLACING NEW SEALS AND GND TESTING IT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKS. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE CLBED TO THE SQUAW VALLEY VOR, XING AT APPROX 12000 FT. THERE WE CONTACTED OAKLAND CENTER TO OPEN OUR IFR FLT PLAN TO VAN NUYS, CA. THE PLANE WAS BEING FLOWN BY A COPLT IN THE REAR SEAT, USING HIS OWN ALTIMETER (THE ACFT IS A TANDEM SEAT EXMIL TURBO JET TRAINER). THE COPLT WAS UP FOR AN ORIENTATION FLT AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT. XING SQUAW VALLEY VOR I PULLED OUT A MAP TO CHK THE COPLT CALCULATION FOR HDG (WE WERE RNAV TO FRIANT VOR; NOT ON AIRWAY V OR J). CENTER CLRED US TO 19000 (FINAL TO BE 2500). AFTER PASSING THROUGH 1600 FT THE COPLT INFORMED ME OF FUEL STREAMING FROM THE SAME (STARBOARD) TIP TANK. WE DID SOME BANKING TO DETERMINE THE LOSS RATE (SETTING SUN WAS AT THAT WING TIP MAKING VISUALIZATION DIFFICULT). WE DISCUSSED DECLARING AN EMER. I STARTED CHANGING PRESSURIZATION FROM BOTH TIPS TO STARBOARD ONLY, PORT ONLY, AND THEN OFF TO SEE THE EFFECT ON FUEL LOSS. AT THAT POINT, ATC SAID WE WERE OVER OUR ASSIGNED 19000 FT LEVEL AND TO DSND BACK TO IT. I TOOK CTL AND WE DSNDED. I ALSO RESET THE ALTIMETER TO 29.92 WHICH I HAD NEGLECTED TO DO DUE TO ALL THE OTHER EXCITEMENT. (THE BACK SEAT ALTIMETER IS IN MILLIBAR AND HAD NOT BEEN RESET FOR FLT ABOVE 18000). WHEN MY ALTIMETER WAS RESET IT DID NOT SHOW MORE THAN 200 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT. THEN ANOTHER VOICE ON ATC GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO BE CALLED FOR A 'POSSIBLE PLT VIOLATION.' WE CONTINUED FLT WITHOUT DECLARING EMER BY USING OUR STARBOARD TANK FUEL FIRST TO MINIMIZE FUEL TOTAL LOSS. THIS RESULTED IN A SOMEWHAT L WING HVY CONDITION MIDJOURNEY, WHICH WAS TIRING TO FLY, BUT WHICH HAD EQUALIZED BY THE END OF THE TRIP WITH A TOTAL LOSS ESTIMATED AT LESS THAN 20 GALLONS, ALLOWING PLENTY FOR IFR RESERVES. THE PROBLEMS AS I SAW IT WERE #1 DISTR BY BOTH PLTS FROM 'ROUTINE' DUTIES BY A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SITUATION AND #2 SEPARATE ALTIMETERS IN A TANDEM SEAT ACFT WITHOUT TIMELY RESETTING OF SUCH DUE TO #1.

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.