Altitude deviation altitude overshot in non adherence to ATC clearance.

Attributes
ACN	245915
Time
Date	199307
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors enroute airway : dfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	245915
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	245833
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We departed dfw on a worth 5 departure -- tucumcari transition with an assigned altitude of 10000 ft. The captain was hand flying the aircraft. On climb out, departure assigned us a westerly heading and advised that, due to WX, we were to be assigned to intercept the dfw 262 degree radial outbound with further clearance to come from ZFW. As PNF, I attempted to enter the new routing into the FMC using my FMC control display unit (CDU). Meanwhile, the captain (unknown to me, head down feverishly working on my CDU) selected manual VOR tuning on 117.0 and was ready to use the single pointer (selected to VOR) and RDMI to complete the intercept. I informed the captain of my difficulties, he diverted his attention to his CDU to see what I had done. About then, we passed through 10000 ft. I think the altitude alert light and caution signals activated. The captain promptly returned the aircraft to 1000 ft. The controller called us and started to ask a question, but then stopped. End of occurrence. Factors -- this was my second flight as PNF in aircraft type. All of my previous flying was in non advanced cockpit type aircraft. My inexperience led me to attempt to generate a computer solution for a simple manual VOR problem. The captain (with 20 plus yrs as captain but only 100 hours in aircraft type) allowed me to distract him at an inopportune moment. Attempting to reduce the workload through automation created a more demanding situation, distracting us from the basics of flying. Recommendation -- internal aircraft altitude alerts should be set to alert flcs for corrective action before altitude deviation reaches safety limits/ FAA alert parameters. This would provide for earlier correct flight crew response when they are momentarily distracted by any of a myriad of possible sits. Supplemental information from acn 245833: 2 new 'guys' trying to keep up with the computer -- I reverted to a manual intercept.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED DFW ON A WORTH 5 DEP -- TUCUMCARI TRANSITION WITH AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 10000 FT. THE CAPT WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. ON CLBOUT, DEP ASSIGNED US A WESTERLY HDG AND ADVISED THAT, DUE TO WX, WE WERE TO BE ASSIGNED TO INTERCEPT THE DFW 262 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND WITH FURTHER CLRNC TO COME FROM ZFW. AS PNF, I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THE NEW ROUTING INTO THE FMC USING MY FMC CTL DISPLAY UNIT (CDU). MEANWHILE, THE CAPT (UNKNOWN TO ME, HEAD DOWN FEVERISHLY WORKING ON MY CDU) SELECTED MANUAL VOR TUNING ON 117.0 AND WAS READY TO USE THE SINGLE POINTER (SELECTED TO VOR) AND RDMI TO COMPLETE THE INTERCEPT. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF MY DIFFICULTIES, HE DIVERTED HIS ATTN TO HIS CDU TO SEE WHAT I HAD DONE. ABOUT THEN, WE PASSED THROUGH 10000 FT. I THINK THE ALT ALERT LIGHT AND CAUTION SIGNALS ACTIVATED. THE CAPT PROMPTLY RETURNED THE ACFT TO 1000 FT. THE CTLR CALLED US AND STARTED TO ASK A QUESTION, BUT THEN STOPPED. END OF OCCURRENCE. FACTORS -- THIS WAS MY SECOND FLT AS PNF IN ACFT TYPE. ALL OF MY PREVIOUS FLYING WAS IN NON ADVANCED COCKPIT TYPE ACFT. MY INEXPERIENCE LED ME TO ATTEMPT TO GENERATE A COMPUTER SOLUTION FOR A SIMPLE MANUAL VOR PROB. THE CAPT (WITH 20 PLUS YRS AS CAPT BUT ONLY 100 HRS IN ACFT TYPE) ALLOWED ME TO DISTRACT HIM AT AN INOPPORTUNE MOMENT. ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE THE WORKLOAD THROUGH AUTOMATION CREATED A MORE DEMANDING SIT, DISTRACTING US FROM THE BASICS OF FLYING. RECOMMENDATION -- INTERNAL ACFT ALT ALERTS SHOULD BE SET TO ALERT FLCS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION BEFORE ALTDEV REACHES SAFETY LIMITS/ FAA ALERT PARAMETERS. THIS WOULD PROVIDE FOR EARLIER CORRECT FLC RESPONSE WHEN THEY ARE MOMENTARILY DISTRACTED BY ANY OF A MYRIAD OF POSSIBLE SITS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 245833: 2 NEW 'GUYS' TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE COMPUTER -- I REVERTED TO A MANUAL INTERCEPT.

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.