Narrative:

While climbing out after takeoff from the lansing airport there was a misunderstanding as to what altitude to level off at. I was the PF (right seat) and the captain on this flight was the PNF. As is the case in our operation, the PNF handles the radio communications. The problem arose when lansing departure was handing us off to cleveland center. The controller stated, 'contact cleveland center on ? Frequency maintain 8000 ft.' at that moment we were already passing 8500 ft on our way to 9000 ft, the altitude set in our 'altitude preselect' box on the dashboard of the plane. To be honest, I did not catch whether the captain had read back the altitude properly when we were given our initial level off altitude and if so if he then put the proper altitude in the 'altitude preselect box' on the aircraft panel. When the problem was discovered, we called back to lansing departure (now already leveling off at 9000 ft) and asked if he wanted us to descend back down to 8000 ft or stay at 9000 ft. Lansing departure said then to maintain 9000 ft and contact cleveland center on ? Frequency. A couple of contributing factors in this miscom/misunderstanding is the #1 fact that on this aircraft the 'altitude preselect box' is on the captain's side of the panel. Out of view of the first officer's normal scan. Which I believe is a poor design feature of this aircraft. #2 the crew was coming off a continuous duty overnight trip which means we arrived at the hotel the night prior at approximately XX45 and had then wake-up calls for OY00 the next morning. If you are lucky you might get 5 hours of sleep. So fatigue could have played a major role.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT ACR CREW OVERSHOT THEIR ALT ON CLB WHEN THE PLTS EITHER MISUNDERSTOOD THEIR ASSIGNMENT OR SIMPLY SET IN THE WRONG NUMBER IN THE ALT REMINDER.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT AFTER TKOF FROM THE LANSING ARPT THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT ALT TO LEVEL OFF AT. I WAS THE PF (R SEAT) AND THE CAPT ON THIS FLT WAS THE PNF. AS IS THE CASE IN OUR OP, THE PNF HANDLES THE RADIO COMS. THE PROBLEM AROSE WHEN LANSING DEP WAS HANDING US OFF TO CLEVELAND CTR. THE CTLR STATED, 'CONTACT CLEVELAND CTR ON ? FREQ MAINTAIN 8000 FT.' AT THAT MOMENT WE WERE ALREADY PASSING 8500 FT ON OUR WAY TO 9000 FT, THE ALT SET IN OUR 'ALT PRESELECT' BOX ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE PLANE. TO BE HONEST, I DID NOT CATCH WHETHER THE CAPT HAD READ BACK THE ALT PROPERLY WHEN WE WERE GIVEN OUR INITIAL LEVEL OFF ALT AND IF SO IF HE THEN PUT THE PROPER ALT IN THE 'ALT PRESELECT BOX' ON THE ACFT PANEL. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED, WE CALLED BACK TO LANSING DEP (NOW ALREADY LEVELING OFF AT 9000 FT) AND ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO DSND BACK DOWN TO 8000 FT OR STAY AT 9000 FT. LANSING DEP SAID THEN TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT AND CONTACT CLEVELAND CTR ON ? FREQ. A COUPLE OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS MISCOM/MISUNDERSTANDING IS THE #1 FACT THAT ON THIS ACFT THE 'ALT PRESELECT BOX' IS ON THE CAPT'S SIDE OF THE PANEL. OUT OF VIEW OF THE FO'S NORMAL SCAN. WHICH I BELIEVE IS A POOR DESIGN FEATURE OF THIS ACFT. #2 THE CREW WAS COMING OFF A CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT TRIP WHICH MEANS WE ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL THE NIGHT PRIOR AT APPROX XX45 AND HAD THEN WAKE-UP CALLS FOR OY00 THE NEXT MORNING. IF YOU ARE LUCKY YOU MIGHT GET 5 HRS OF SLEEP. SO FATIGUE COULD HAVE PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE.

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.