Flight crew of medium large transport overshot assigned altitude of 3000 departing oak.

Attributes
ACN	194999
Time
Date	199111
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1250
ASRS Report	194999
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After takeoff from oakland, first officer flying, tower controller reported 2 military aircraft in the flight pattern at alameda NAS and instructed a frequency change to departure control. The TCASII gave a 'traffic-traffic' warning but the HSI showed no traffic. We were just leveling at 2000 ft. As we contacted departure control he cleared us to 3000 ft and alerted us to the traffic in the alameda pattern as the TCASII was again announcing 'traffic-traffic.' while watching for the alameda traffic and looking in the direction cleared to turn I observed traffic in the turn direction somewhat above our altitude. At this time the altitude alert went off indicating we had climbed above the set altitude of 3000 ft. Recovery and descent was initiated with the highest altitude reached approximately 3600 ft. Departure control then cleared us to continue climb to FL230. The first officer (PF) believed we had been cleared to 4000 ft and this may have been. There were no warnings and clearance instructions with traffic direction and altitude numbers as well as heading and altitude changes for our flight the additional change could have been missed. The TCASII, in this case, proved to be greatly distracting with its loud verbal warnings at the same time ATC instructions were being received and traffic separation was being provided by ATC. This was the capts first flight with TCASII operational (first officer's second). The reason no traffic showed on the HSI was due to a push button switch, whose function was not described, that was not on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 DEPARTING OAK.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM OAKLAND, FO FLYING, TWR CTLR RPTED 2 MIL ACFT IN THE FLT PATTERN AT ALAMEDA NAS AND INSTRUCTED A FREQ CHANGE TO DEP CTL. THE TCASII GAVE A 'TFC-TFC' WARNING BUT THE HSI SHOWED NO TFC. WE WERE JUST LEVELING AT 2000 FT. AS WE CONTACTED DEP CTL HE CLRED US TO 3000 FT AND ALERTED US TO THE TFC IN THE ALAMEDA PATTERN AS THE TCASII WAS AGAIN ANNOUNCING 'TFC-TFC.' WHILE WATCHING FOR THE ALAMEDA TFC AND LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION CLRED TO TURN I OBSERVED TFC IN THE TURN DIRECTION SOMEWHAT ABOVE OUR ALT. AT THIS TIME THE ALT ALERT WENT OFF INDICATING WE HAD CLBED ABOVE THE SET ALT OF 3000 FT. RECOVERY AND DSCNT WAS INITIATED WITH THE HIGHEST ALT REACHED APPROX 3600 FT. DEP CTL THEN CLRED US TO CONTINUE CLB TO FL230. THE FO (PF) BELIEVED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 4000 FT AND THIS MAY HAVE BEEN. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS AND CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS WITH TFC DIRECTION AND ALT NUMBERS AS WELL AS HDG AND ALT CHANGES FOR OUR FLT THE ADDITIONAL CHANGE COULD HAVE BEEN MISSED. THE TCASII, IN THIS CASE, PROVED TO BE GREATLY DISTRACTING WITH ITS LOUD VERBAL WARNINGS AT THE SAME TIME ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE BEING RECEIVED AND TFC SEPARATION WAS BEING PROVIDED BY ATC. THIS WAS THE CAPTS FIRST FLT WITH TCASII OPERATIONAL (FO'S SECOND). THE REASON NO TFC SHOWED ON THE HSI WAS DUE TO A PUSH BUTTON SWITCH, WHOSE FUNCTION WAS NOT DESCRIBED, THAT WAS NOT ON.

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.