Narrative:

After takeoff from atl, we were switched to departure control and I checked in. 10000 ft was our climb limit. Captain leveled off at 10000 ft and was hand-flying the aircraft. I knew that on the takeoff roll that my charts had fallen backwards off of my navigation kit. So, I glanced back to see where exactly they were. I looked back up front to see the aircraft climbing through 10200 ft. I quickly said '10000 ft' and pointed to the captain's altimeter. It appeared that the captain had also looked away at the same time that I had. The captain had not pulled the power back when leveling at 10000 ft and was starting an acceleration. The momentum started the climb out of 10000 ft. The captain immediately reacted. We reached a maximum deviation of plus 400 ft (10400 ft MSL), whereby the controller asked our altitude and told us that we had traffic at 11 O'clock at 11000 ft. We quickly returned to 10000 ft and the flight continued normally. I know that the 'sterile cockpit' ends at 10000 ft. However, I think it's important to stress that sometimes things can happen very quickly (like this did) and full attention should be given during climb out, even when at or above 10000 ft (especially in the terminal area). Perhaps turning the autoplt on upon leveloff would also be a good idea if you plan to look away. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies for a major united states air carrier that is on the decline. She had never flown with the captain before and had never met him before. This really had no bearing on this incident. The captain 'is kinda strange,' he attempts to run the so panel completely and apparently tells the agents how to do their jobs. He is also difficult to talk to. As the 'autoplt really stinks,' most pilots hand fly the aircraft to altitude. The reporter waited till the end of the sterile cockpit period to reach back for her approach plates, but this was not enough to prevent this little burble in altitude. She agreed that if she had gone after the approach plates while climbing, she would have been back in the loop at leveloff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOOT ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM ATL, WE WERE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND I CHKED IN. 10000 FT WAS OUR CLB LIMIT. CAPT LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT AND WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. I KNEW THAT ON THE TKOF ROLL THAT MY CHARTS HAD FALLEN BACKWARDS OFF OF MY NAV KIT. SO, I GLANCED BACK TO SEE WHERE EXACTLY THEY WERE. I LOOKED BACK UP FRONT TO SEE THE ACFT CLBING THROUGH 10200 FT. I QUICKLY SAID '10000 FT' AND POINTED TO THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER. IT APPEARED THAT THE CAPT HAD ALSO LOOKED AWAY AT THE SAME TIME THAT I HAD. THE CAPT HAD NOT PULLED THE PWR BACK WHEN LEVELING AT 10000 FT AND WAS STARTING AN ACCELERATION. THE MOMENTUM STARTED THE CLB OUT OF 10000 FT. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY REACTED. WE REACHED A MAX DEV OF PLUS 400 FT (10400 FT MSL), WHEREBY THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND TOLD US THAT WE HAD TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK AT 11000 FT. WE QUICKLY RETURNED TO 10000 FT AND THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY. I KNOW THAT THE 'STERILE COCKPIT' ENDS AT 10000 FT. HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO STRESS THAT SOMETIMES THINGS CAN HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY (LIKE THIS DID) AND FULL ATTN SHOULD BE GIVEN DURING CLBOUT, EVEN WHEN AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT (ESPECIALLY IN THE TERMINAL AREA). PERHAPS TURNING THE AUTOPLT ON UPON LEVELOFF WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD IDEA IF YOU PLAN TO LOOK AWAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR THAT IS ON THE DECLINE. SHE HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH THE CAPT BEFORE AND HAD NEVER MET HIM BEFORE. THIS REALLY HAD NO BEARING ON THIS INCIDENT. THE CAPT 'IS KINDA STRANGE,' HE ATTEMPTS TO RUN THE SO PANEL COMPLETELY AND APPARENTLY TELLS THE AGENTS HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS. HE IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO TALK TO. AS THE 'AUTOPLT REALLY STINKS,' MOST PLTS HAND FLY THE ACFT TO ALT. THE RPTR WAITED TILL THE END OF THE STERILE COCKPIT PERIOD TO REACH BACK FOR HER APCH PLATES, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PREVENT THIS LITTLE BURBLE IN ALT. SHE AGREED THAT IF SHE HAD GONE AFTER THE APCH PLATES WHILE CLBING, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN BACK IN THE LOOP AT LEVELOFF.

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.