Narrative:

Overshot initial level off altitude by 500 ft. Standard SID, calls for an initial level off of 5000 ft. The amended the SID that morning to 2500 ft. We did not notice this on the pre departure clearance. We have always used 5000 ft as prescribed in the SID. ATC never made any verbal warnings on the ATIS or radio, warning us of an altitude change. Our air carrier removed crew meals off the aircraft. We were hungry, weak and had no prior opportunity to acquire any nutritional meal. Our judgement may have been impaired with a lack of nutritional sustenance there are many trips where we fly a total of 8 hours or more and are on duty for 14-16 hours without access to a morsel of food. This in my view poses a serious decrement to safety. I am appealing to you to correct this serious matter. Supplemental information from acn 214452. The company, our employer, xyz airlines, just announced to us in our mail boxes that we were to take a $1000 per month pay cut to assist the company out of bankruptcy when in fact the employees are helping to finance the present mgmnts 'golden parachute' for another investors buy out of the company. Our attention was not on the business of flying an airplane. No matter how conscientious we tried to be, we still missed 2 very important items. I even announced while taxiing out that our attention has been seriously diverted that we need to be very careful and attentive to what we are doing. We received a pre departure clearance from company gate agent which indicated the newark 4 departure with an amended climb clearance to maintain 2500 ft as opposed to the standard 5000 ft. We did not see the amended clearance to maintain 2500 ft. Under certain emotional strain and stress a pilot should be able to disqualify himself from a flight without reprisal from company or management as we would be with our airlines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DIDN'T READ PDC CORRECTLY AND BUSTED ALT.

Narrative: OVERSHOT INITIAL LEVEL OFF ALT BY 500 FT. STANDARD SID, CALLS FOR AN INITIAL LEVEL OFF OF 5000 FT. THE AMENDED THE SID THAT MORNING TO 2500 FT. WE DID NOT NOTICE THIS ON THE PDC. WE HAVE ALWAYS USED 5000 FT AS PRESCRIBED IN THE SID. ATC NEVER MADE ANY VERBAL WARNINGS ON THE ATIS OR RADIO, WARNING US OF AN ALT CHANGE. OUR ACR REMOVED CREW MEALS OFF THE ACFT. WE WERE HUNGRY, WEAK AND HAD NO PRIOR OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE ANY NUTRITIONAL MEAL. OUR JUDGEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPAIRED WITH A LACK OF NUTRITIONAL SUSTENANCE THERE ARE MANY TRIPS WHERE WE FLY A TOTAL OF 8 HRS OR MORE AND ARE ON DUTY FOR 14-16 HRS WITHOUT ACCESS TO A MORSEL OF FOOD. THIS IN MY VIEW POSES A SERIOUS DECREMENT TO SAFETY. I AM APPEALING TO YOU TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS MATTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 214452. THE COMPANY, OUR EMPLOYER, XYZ AIRLINES, JUST ANNOUNCED TO US IN OUR MAIL BOXES THAT WE WERE TO TAKE A $1000 PER MONTH PAY CUT TO ASSIST THE COMPANY OUT OF BANKRUPTCY WHEN IN FACT THE EMPLOYEES ARE HELPING TO FINANCE THE PRESENT MGMNTS 'GOLDEN PARACHUTE' FOR ANOTHER INVESTORS BUY OUT OF THE COMPANY. OUR ATTN WAS NOT ON THE BUSINESS OF FLYING AN AIRPLANE. NO MATTER HOW CONSCIENTIOUS WE TRIED TO BE, WE STILL MISSED 2 VERY IMPORTANT ITEMS. I EVEN ANNOUNCED WHILE TAXIING OUT THAT OUR ATTN HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY DIVERTED THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND ATTENTIVE TO WHAT WE ARE DOING. WE RECEIVED A PDC FROM COMPANY GATE AGENT WHICH INDICATED THE NEWARK 4 DEP WITH AN AMENDED CLB CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT AS OPPOSED TO THE STANDARD 5000 FT. WE DID NOT SEE THE AMENDED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT. UNDER CERTAIN EMOTIONAL STRAIN AND STRESS A PLT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DISQUALIFY HIMSELF FROM A FLT WITHOUT REPRISAL FROM COMPANY OR MGMNT AS WE WOULD BE WITH OUR AIRLINES.

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.