Narrative:

We departed cleveland hopkins airport and were handed off to cleveland departure control. Cleveland departure cleared us up to 6000 ft MSL. We continued our climb, and then I noticed that the first officer had climbed to 7000 ft. At this point cleveland departure then handed us off to cleveland center. I responded accordingly and then told the first officer to get back down to 6000 ft immediately. At this point I checked in with center level at 6000 ft. Center then cleared us up to FL180. Obviously there were no close midair accidents, but nonetheless, we had violated our assigned altitude. The root cause of this altitude bust was the crew being distracted due to trying to follow company procedures, monitoring company frequency, by obeying (far 135.79, 121.99, 121.25, 121.607, and 121.609) as per our manual. However, it is impossible to do 2 things at once! In this case, we were trying to monitor 2 frequencys as per our manual, and there was a breakdown in communication between the crew members, and as a result the first officer went through the altitude. I did not catch it until we were almost 1000 ft high. The solution to this from occurring again is to disregard our company manual which says to monitor company frequency during all phases of flight. As a pilot I have vastly more important things to do, like flying the aircraft first. I will not ever again monitor company frequency during ground operations, takeoff, departure, approach, or in a TCA. From now on the only time I will monitor company frequency is during cruise flight when things are real quiet and stable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LTT IN CLB OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CLEVELAND HOPKINS ARPT AND WERE HANDED OFF TO CLEVELAND DEP CTL. CLEVELAND DEP CLRED US UP TO 6000 FT MSL. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB, AND THEN I NOTICED THAT THE FO HAD CLBED TO 7000 FT. AT THIS POINT CLEVELAND DEP THEN HANDED US OFF TO CLEVELAND CENTER. I RESPONDED ACCORDINGLY AND THEN TOLD THE FO TO GET BACK DOWN TO 6000 FT IMMEDIATELY. AT THIS POINT I CHKED IN WITH CENTER LEVEL AT 6000 FT. CENTER THEN CLRED US UP TO FL180. OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE NO CLOSE MIDAIR ACCIDENTS, BUT NONETHELESS, WE HAD VIOLATED OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS ALT BUST WAS THE CREW BEING DISTRACTED DUE TO TRYING TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCS, MONITORING COMPANY FREQ, BY OBEYING (FAR 135.79, 121.99, 121.25, 121.607, AND 121.609) AS PER OUR MANUAL. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO 2 THINGS AT ONCE! IN THIS CASE, WE WERE TRYING TO MONITOR 2 FREQS AS PER OUR MANUAL, AND THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN THE CREW MEMBERS, AND AS A RESULT THE FO WENT THROUGH THE ALT. I DID NOT CATCH IT UNTIL WE WERE ALMOST 1000 FT HIGH. THE SOLUTION TO THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN IS TO DISREGARD OUR COMPANY MANUAL WHICH SAYS TO MONITOR COMPANY FREQ DURING ALL PHASES OF FLT. AS A PLT I HAVE VASTLY MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO, LIKE FLYING THE ACFT FIRST. I WILL NOT EVER AGAIN MONITOR COMPANY FREQ DURING GND OPS, TKOF, DEP, APCH, OR IN A TCA. FROM NOW ON THE ONLY TIME I WILL MONITOR COMPANY FREQ IS DURING CRUISE FLT WHEN THINGS ARE REAL QUIET AND STABLE.

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.