Altitude overshot while crew busy cleaning up spilled coffee.

Attributes
ACN	234944
Time
Date	199303
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ctr airport : bdl
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	234944
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	235043
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera 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:

We were cleared to 4000 ft to expect 11000 ft en route from bdl to yul. The only out of the ordinary setup in the cockpit is that the captain likes to fly with the aural warning circuit breaker pulled which disables the altitude alert chime and the stall warning horn. He finds them annoying. It was my leg to fly and I had a cup of coffee wedged between the center console and the logbook. When the captain picked up the logbook my coffee spilled. While cleaning up the mess I flew through 4000 ft and caught my mistake at 4600 ft. It just goes to show what will happen when a lot of little things pile up into bigger things. I should also add that we just came off an 8-HR overnight and we were tired. Supplemental information from acn 235043: bradley departure called us at about the time we noticed we were passing 4800 ft, pointed out our altitude error, and immediately assigned us 6000 ft and handed us off to ZBW.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOT WHILE CREW BUSY CLEANING UP SPILLED COFFEE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT TO EXPECT 11000 FT ENRTE FROM BDL TO YUL. THE ONLY OUT OF THE ORDINARY SETUP IN THE COCKPIT IS THAT THE CAPT LIKES TO FLY WITH THE AURAL WARNING CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED WHICH DISABLES THE ALT ALERT CHIME AND THE STALL WARNING HORN. HE FINDS THEM ANNOYING. IT WAS MY LEG TO FLY AND I HAD A CUP OF COFFEE WEDGED BTWN THE CTR CONSOLE AND THE LOGBOOK. WHEN THE CAPT PICKED UP THE LOGBOOK MY COFFEE SPILLED. WHILE CLEANING UP THE MESS I FLEW THROUGH 4000 FT AND CAUGHT MY MISTAKE AT 4600 FT. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS PILE UP INTO BIGGER THINGS. I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT WE JUST CAME OFF AN 8-HR OVERNIGHT AND WE WERE TIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 235043: BRADLEY DEP CALLED US AT ABOUT THE TIME WE NOTICED WE WERE PASSING 4800 FT, POINTED OUT OUR ALT ERROR, AND IMMEDIATELY ASSIGNED US 6000 FT AND HANDED US OFF TO ZBW.

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.