Narrative:

As we climbed to 10000 ft we were approaching mxe leaving 9000 ft for 10000 ft we were given a handoff from phl departure to ZNY. The first officer checked in for ZNY. I was setting up for the mxe 278 degree radial for peney to join J-110. The first officer commented that I had the wrong radial that I should set in mxe 284 degree radial as he had just recently set in. ZNY acknowledged our check in and I thought, as I expected, gave us higher. I meanwhile told the first officer to check the radial. As mxe was coming up quickly. While he was checking his chart I noticed the altitude alert was still set at 10000 ft. I asked him to verify our altitude that we were cleared to as I began pulling off power and lowering the nose. Center verified our clearance limit was 10000 ft and asked us for our altitude. At that time we were descending through 10200 ft which we reported. We had gone as high as 10400 ft. There was traffic in the area at 11000 ft. I am not sure what the distance was. TCASII was on and never gave a TA or an RA. The cause of this excursion was confusion on both the first officer and my part as to what our clearance was. As it turns out I was correct about our routing but questioning by the first officer while center was talking caused me to miss our altitude clearance and hear what I expected to hear. We became very busy for about 30 seconds and while trying to clarify routing missed our altitude. My first thought for a solution is to say the PF should pay close attention to altitude during the last 1000 ft of altitude change. I feel however that in this instance that as we were very close to making a course change at the time the course change is just as important as level off. Deviating from either one can cause a conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: AS WE CLBED TO 10000 FT WE WERE APCHING MXE LEAVING 9000 FT FOR 10000 FT WE WERE GIVEN A HDOF FROM PHL DEP TO ZNY. THE FO CHKED IN FOR ZNY. I WAS SETTING UP FOR THE MXE 278 DEG RADIAL FOR PENEY TO JOIN J-110. THE FO COMMENTED THAT I HAD THE WRONG RADIAL THAT I SHOULD SET IN MXE 284 DEG RADIAL AS HE HAD JUST RECENTLY SET IN. ZNY ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK IN AND I THOUGHT, AS I EXPECTED, GAVE US HIGHER. I MEANWHILE TOLD THE FO TO CHK THE RADIAL. AS MXE WAS COMING UP QUICKLY. WHILE HE WAS CHKING HIS CHART I NOTICED THE ALT ALERT WAS STILL SET AT 10000 FT. I ASKED HIM TO VERIFY OUR ALT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO AS I BEGAN PULLING OFF PWR AND LOWERING THE NOSE. CTR VERIFIED OUR CLRNC LIMIT WAS 10000 FT AND ASKED US FOR OUR ALT. AT THAT TIME WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 10200 FT WHICH WE RPTED. WE HAD GONE AS HIGH AS 10400 FT. THERE WAS TFC IN THE AREA AT 11000 FT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE DISTANCE WAS. TCASII WAS ON AND NEVER GAVE A TA OR AN RA. THE CAUSE OF THIS EXCURSION WAS CONFUSION ON BOTH THE FO AND MY PART AS TO WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS. AS IT TURNS OUT I WAS CORRECT ABOUT OUR ROUTING BUT QUESTIONING BY THE FO WHILE CTR WAS TALKING CAUSED ME TO MISS OUR ALT CLRNC AND HEAR WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR. WE BECAME VERY BUSY FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND WHILE TRYING TO CLARIFY ROUTING MISSED OUR ALT. MY FIRST THOUGHT FOR A SOLUTION IS TO SAY THE PF SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTN TO ALT DURING THE LAST 1000 FT OF ALT CHANGE. I FEEL HOWEVER THAT IN THIS INSTANCE THAT AS WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO MAKING A COURSE CHANGE AT THE TIME THE COURSE CHANGE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS LEVEL OFF. DEVIATING FROM EITHER ONE CAN CAUSE A CONFLICT.

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.