Air carrier has altitude deviation while captain hand flying during turbulence.

Attributes
ACN	263052
Time
Date	199402
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11800 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tower : slc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	263052
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight den-cos, level at 12000 ft, den departure control advised traffic would cross left to right at 11000 ft. At this time captain was flying and we were experiencing moderate turbulence. Captain inadvertently allowed altitude to deviate to approximately 11800 ft due to turbulence as he was hand flying. We got a TCASII advisory to monitor vertical speed as we immediately went back to 12000 ft. Den departure asked us to confirm our altitude as 12000 ft. We acknowledged 'affirmative.' in future, it might be advisable to put the aircraft on autoplt when in moderate turbulence. I also will say that this captain seemed continuously in a hurry and overctled the aircraft. He was in a hurry to get back on schedule.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS ALTDEV WHILE CAPT HAND FLYING DURING TURB.

Narrative: FLT DEN-COS, LEVEL AT 12000 FT, DEN DEP CTL ADVISED TFC WOULD CROSS L TO R AT 11000 FT. AT THIS TIME CAPT WAS FLYING AND WE WERE EXPERIENCING MODERATE TURB. CAPT INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED ALT TO DEVIATE TO APPROX 11800 FT DUE TO TURB AS HE WAS HAND FLYING. WE GOT A TCASII ADVISORY TO MONITOR VERT SPD AS WE IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO 12000 FT. DEN DEP ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ALT AS 12000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' IN FUTURE, IT MIGHT BE ADVISABLE TO PUT THE ACFT ON AUTOPLT WHEN IN MODERATE TURB. I ALSO WILL SAY THAT THIS CAPT SEEMED CONTINUOUSLY IN A HURRY AND OVERCTLED THE ACFT. HE WAS IN A HURRY TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE.

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.