Narrative:

I was captain on flight from pit-ewr. Copilot flying. ZOB cleared us to FL230 -- then a few seconds (10) later amended altitude to FL190. Copilot didn't reset altitude in MCP window. I was resetting aircraft switches as per company policy for flight in positive control area (above 18000 ft) and did not see that the altitude had not been reset. I then saw that we had come within approximately 2-3 mi of another aircraft on our TCASII screen I called the traffic in sight to ZOB at which time the controller advised we were at wrong altitude. Copilot insisted that we had not been given the 190 altitude amendment. I immediately asked controller what altitude she wanted us to maintain. There followed a period of approximately 5 min where ZOB could not hear any of my radio calls -- or any other aircraft responses either. In other words we could hear her but she apparently could not hear us or any other aircraft. We did hear her give us a 30 degree turn to the left which we complied with. At no time were we in any danger due to close proximity to another aircraft. Copilot was upset with his perception of poor treatment of pilots and especially himself by the company and was complaining about it. This may have distracted him. I was turning off landing lights and resetting angle of bank limiter in preparation for flight at higher altitudes and didn't notice that the altitude window had not been used and that we had flown through assigned altitude. Lesson: don't let yourself be distracted by outside problems -- and just because you're not flying don't let down your level of awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR MLG OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING CLB DUE TO THE FO NOT RESETTING ALT ALERTER.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON FLT FROM PIT-EWR. COPLT FLYING. ZOB CLRED US TO FL230 -- THEN A FEW SECONDS (10) LATER AMENDED ALT TO FL190. COPLT DIDN'T RESET ALT IN MCP WINDOW. I WAS RESETTING ACFT SWITCHES AS PER COMPANY POLICY FOR FLT IN PCA (ABOVE 18000 FT) AND DID NOT SEE THAT THE ALT HAD NOT BEEN RESET. I THEN SAW THAT WE HAD COME WITHIN APPROX 2-3 MI OF ANOTHER ACFT ON OUR TCASII SCREEN I CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT TO ZOB AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR ADVISED WE WERE AT WRONG ALT. COPLT INSISTED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN THE 190 ALT AMENDMENT. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED CTLR WHAT ALT SHE WANTED US TO MAINTAIN. THERE FOLLOWED A PERIOD OF APPROX 5 MIN WHERE ZOB COULD NOT HEAR ANY OF MY RADIO CALLS -- OR ANY OTHER ACFT RESPONSES EITHER. IN OTHER WORDS WE COULD HEAR HER BUT SHE APPARENTLY COULD NOT HEAR US OR ANY OTHER ACFT. WE DID HEAR HER GIVE US A 30 DEG TURN TO THE L WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH. AT NO TIME WERE WE IN ANY DANGER DUE TO CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT. COPLT WAS UPSET WITH HIS PERCEPTION OF POOR TREATMENT OF PLTS AND ESPECIALLY HIMSELF BY THE COMPANY AND WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. THIS MAY HAVE DISTRACTED HIM. I WAS TURNING OFF LNDG LIGHTS AND RESETTING ANGLE OF BANK LIMITER IN PREPARATION FOR FLT AT HIGHER ALTS AND DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE ALT WINDOW HAD NOT BEEN USED AND THAT WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT. LESSON: DON'T LET YOURSELF BE DISTRACTED BY OUTSIDE PROBS -- AND JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FLYING DON'T LET DOWN YOUR LEVEL OF AWARENESS.

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.