An air carrier light transport overshot its altitude by 2500 ft.

Attributes
ACN	279927
Time
Date	199408
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 3900
ASRS Report	279927
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 71 flight time total : 1787 flight time type : 71
ASRS Report	279589
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In sum: an emb-120 departed cle to the south with a captain on the fourth day of a 4 day trip. The first officer was new to the aircraft. A busy departure controller modified the altitude to 6000 ft. The autoplt was flying the aircraft. As there was considerable traffic, both crewmembers were looking out the window. They flew on up to 8500 ft before ARTCC questioned their altitude. The crew descended back to their assigned 6000 ft and were handed to another sector. The captain suggests that fatigue played a big part in this incident. He believes that he wasn't getting much help from his first officer who was on his third trip since finishing his IOE. Also, the aircraft gave a false sense of leveling off when it turned and decreased its 'G' force. There was no horizon as the aircraft was between layers of amorphous clouds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT OVERSHOT ITS ALT BY 2500 FT.

Narrative: IN SUM: AN EMB-120 DEPARTED CLE TO THE S WITH A CAPT ON THE FOURTH DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP. THE FO WAS NEW TO THE ACFT. A BUSY DEP CTLR MODIFIED THE ALT TO 6000 FT. THE AUTOPLT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AS THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TFC, BOTH CREWMEMBERS WERE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW. THEY FLEW ON UP TO 8500 FT BEFORE ARTCC QUESTIONED THEIR ALT. THE CREW DSNDED BACK TO THEIR ASSIGNED 6000 FT AND WERE HANDED TO ANOTHER SECTOR. THE CAPT SUGGESTS THAT FATIGUE PLAYED A BIG PART IN THIS INCIDENT. HE BELIEVES THAT HE WASN'T GETTING MUCH HELP FROM HIS FO WHO WAS ON HIS THIRD TRIP SINCE FINISHING HIS IOE. ALSO, THE ACFT GAVE A FALSE SENSE OF LEVELING OFF WHEN IT TURNED AND DECREASED ITS 'G' FORCE. THERE WAS NO HORIZON AS THE ACFT WAS BTWN LAYERS OF AMORPHOUS CLOUDS.

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.