Medium large transport air carrier aircraft overshot climb altitude due to the first officer inadvertently entering the wrong altitude in the digital flight guidance altitude window.

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Attributes
ACN	254325
Time
Date	199310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	254325
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	253973
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departure from dca at 10000, we were asked our altitude from washington departure control, given a heading, and then climbed to about 13000. The pre departure clearance and an altitude of 5000 but the first officer had put in 10000. I did not specifically check the pre departure clearance, but asked the first officer about it had he confirmed it. On checking in with dca departure we indicated we were climbing through about 3000 ft for 10000 ft, and were acknowledged by them. The frequency was very busy. They then asked our altitude when we were level at 10000. No traffic in the area and we climbed uneventfully. I should have checked the pre departure clearance and not relied on the first officer. I called on the phone at our next stop to the departure supervisor and he said no problem at all and said he thought we had been cleared to 9000, but wasn't sure. He had a student ATC on the frequency and was very busy. Part of the problem was the extremely busy departure frequency, which, I feel, prevented pilot/controller interchange necessary to ensure proper altitude assignment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACR ACFT OVERSHOT CLB ALT DUE TO THE FO INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE WRONG ALT IN THE DIGITAL FLT GUIDANCE ALT WINDOW.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM DCA AT 10000, WE WERE ASKED OUR ALT FROM WASHINGTON DEP CTL, GIVEN A HDG, AND THEN CLBED TO ABOUT 13000. THE PDC AND AN ALT OF 5000 BUT THE FO HAD PUT IN 10000. I DID NOT SPECIFICALLY CHK THE PDC, BUT ASKED THE FO ABOUT IT HAD HE CONFIRMED IT. ON CHKING IN WITH DCA DEP WE INDICATED WE WERE CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 3000 FT FOR 10000 FT, AND WERE ACKNOWLEDGED BY THEM. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. THEY THEN ASKED OUR ALT WHEN WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000. NO TFC IN THE AREA AND WE CLBED UNEVENTFULLY. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE PDC AND NOT RELIED ON THE FO. I CALLED ON THE PHONE AT OUR NEXT STOP TO THE DEP SUPVR AND HE SAID NO PROB AT ALL AND SAID HE THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 9000, BUT WASN'T SURE. HE HAD A STUDENT ATC ON THE FREQ AND WAS VERY BUSY. PART OF THE PROB WAS THE EXTREMELY BUSY DEP FREQ, WHICH, I FEEL, PREVENTED PLT/CTLR INTERCHANGE NECESSARY TO ENSURE PROPER ALT ASSIGNMENT.

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.