Narrative:

Flight had departed from bwi, with a climb restr of 3000 ft, expecting 5000 ft, en route to sby. The altitude restr was set in the altitude controller window. After takeoff checks were completed between 1500 ft and 2000 ft. Between 2000 ft and 3000 ft, PNF left ATC frequency to make radio report to company frequency. After making this report, PNF felt aircraft pitch down. PNF saw altitude increasing from 3300 ft to 3400 ft and queried PF, who was already pushing yoke forward. Climb topped at 3400 ft. Simultaneously, controller was querying our altitude, with reference to passing traffic at 2 mi and 3500 ft. Flight returned to assigned altitude. Total time of excursion from assigned altitude was approximately 20-30 seconds. Passing traffic was not on a collision course, and TA/RA was not activated. This crew allowed themselves to be caught in the complacency trap. Normal initial altitude restr for this departure is 4000 ft, flight after flight, day after day. Even though the unusual restr of 3000 ft was discussed and set in the altitude controller window, the PF flew through the restr. The PNF, who was also the captain, and more experienced in the area, erred in leaving the ATC frequency before the initial altitude restr had been reached. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has never flown with this first officer before or since. His air carrier has a scheduling procedure where capts and first officer's are not paired together for any length of time unless they trade trips. The reporter likes this procedure as he believes that it keeps him from getting too familiar with the first officer and complacent. The reporter faults himself for not staying with ATC on departure until the aircraft had leveled at its initial altitude. The reporter does not know why there was a change in the 'normal' departure altitude, probably inbound traffic. The aircraft has an altitude alerter, but it was still set at the 'normal' initial altitude, it had not been reset to the new altitude. The first officer is new to the air carrier, about 6 months.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV.

Narrative: FLT HAD DEPARTED FROM BWI, WITH A CLB RESTR OF 3000 FT, EXPECTING 5000 FT, ENRTE TO SBY. THE ALT RESTR WAS SET IN THE ALT CTLR WINDOW. AFTER TKOF CHKS WERE COMPLETED BTWN 1500 FT AND 2000 FT. BTWN 2000 FT AND 3000 FT, PNF LEFT ATC FREQ TO MAKE RADIO RPT TO COMPANY FREQ. AFTER MAKING THIS RPT, PNF FELT ACFT PITCH DOWN. PNF SAW ALT INCREASING FROM 3300 FT TO 3400 FT AND QUERIED PF, WHO WAS ALREADY PUSHING YOKE FORWARD. CLB TOPPED AT 3400 FT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, CTLR WAS QUERYING OUR ALT, WITH REF TO PASSING TFC AT 2 MI AND 3500 FT. FLT RETURNED TO ASSIGNED ALT. TOTAL TIME OF EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED ALT WAS APPROX 20-30 SECONDS. PASSING TFC WAS NOT ON A COLLISION COURSE, AND TA/RA WAS NOT ACTIVATED. THIS CREW ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO BE CAUGHT IN THE COMPLACENCY TRAP. NORMAL INITIAL ALT RESTR FOR THIS DEP IS 4000 FT, FLT AFTER FLT, DAY AFTER DAY. EVEN THOUGH THE UNUSUAL RESTR OF 3000 FT WAS DISCUSSED AND SET IN THE ALT CTLR WINDOW, THE PF FLEW THROUGH THE RESTR. THE PNF, WHO WAS ALSO THE CAPT, AND MORE EXPERIENCED IN THE AREA, ERRED IN LEAVING THE ATC FREQ BEFORE THE INITIAL ALT RESTR HAD BEEN REACHED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NEVER FLOWN WITH THIS FO BEFORE OR SINCE. HIS ACR HAS A SCHEDULING PROC WHERE CAPTS AND FO'S ARE NOT PAIRED TOGETHER FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME UNLESS THEY TRADE TRIPS. THE RPTR LIKES THIS PROC AS HE BELIEVES THAT IT KEEPS HIM FROM GETTING TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE FO AND COMPLACENT. THE RPTR FAULTS HIMSELF FOR NOT STAYING WITH ATC ON DEP UNTIL THE ACFT HAD LEVELED AT ITS INITIAL ALT. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHY THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE 'NORMAL' DEP ALT, PROBABLY INBOUND TFC. THE ACFT HAS AN ALT ALERTER, BUT IT WAS STILL SET AT THE 'NORMAL' INITIAL ALT, IT HAD NOT BEEN RESET TO THE NEW ALT. THE FO IS NEW TO THE ACR, ABOUT 6 MONTHS.

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.