Narrative:

On apr/thu/95 our flight was operating as a dc-8-61 cargo flight from mem to dtw with a crew/company planned diversion to yip if the runways were dry. If the runways were wet, the flight would have to land at dtw. This was because the aircraft would be too heavy to land at yip on a wet runway per the airport runway analysis charts. Yip ATIS caused us to request an IFR clearance to yip en route. On short final tower advised us runway was wet with light rain. The captain took a simple decision and started to make it complicated. At this point, we told tower we needed to go to nearby dtw. Yip tower handed us off to dtw approach. The captain didn't want to go direct to dtw. Instead he wanted a delaying radar vector so the so could check with dispatch. While the so was talking with company, I was looking for the approach plate for runway 3R at dtw. (This took awhile because it discovered it was missing!! We didn't have it on board.) while the so and first officer were busy, the captain's instrument scan lapsed due to his agitated state at having to divert, I believe. The captain climbed from an assigned altitude of 3000 ft to 4000 ft!!! Dtw approach asked us what our flight altitude was. The captain told me he thought he got a 4000 ft climb clearance. I relayed that to the controller. He said 'no problem' and instructed us to descend to 3000 ft. We finally landed at dtw. The controllers did not ask us to telephone them. So, I do not think there is a violation headed our way. The captain is a new captain still on high minimums. It was not a pleasant time in the cockpit that day. I am submitting this report for your database. As a result of this incident I will try to have even more situational awareness in high workload times. I feel bad this happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION - CAPT OF AN ACR CLBS ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT WHILE THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS ARE DISTRACTED WITH THEIR TASKS.

Narrative: ON APR/THU/95 OUR FLT WAS OPERATING AS A DC-8-61 CARGO FLT FROM MEM TO DTW WITH A CREW/COMPANY PLANNED DIVERSION TO YIP IF THE RWYS WERE DRY. IF THE RWYS WERE WET, THE FLT WOULD HAVE TO LAND AT DTW. THIS WAS BECAUSE THE ACFT WOULD BE TOO HVY TO LAND AT YIP ON A WET RWY PER THE ARPT RWY ANALYSIS CHARTS. YIP ATIS CAUSED US TO REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC TO YIP ENRTE. ON SHORT FINAL TWR ADVISED US RWY WAS WET WITH LIGHT RAIN. THE CAPT TOOK A SIMPLE DECISION AND STARTED TO MAKE IT COMPLICATED. AT THIS POINT, WE TOLD TWR WE NEEDED TO GO TO NEARBY DTW. YIP TWR HANDED US OFF TO DTW APCH. THE CAPT DIDN'T WANT TO GO DIRECT TO DTW. INSTEAD HE WANTED A DELAYING RADAR VECTOR SO THE SO COULD CHK WITH DISPATCH. WHILE THE SO WAS TALKING WITH COMPANY, I WAS LOOKING FOR THE APCH PLATE FOR RWY 3R AT DTW. (THIS TOOK AWHILE BECAUSE IT DISCOVERED IT WAS MISSING!! WE DIDN'T HAVE IT ON BOARD.) WHILE THE SO AND FO WERE BUSY, THE CAPT'S INST SCAN LAPSED DUE TO HIS AGITATED STATE AT HAVING TO DIVERT, I BELIEVE. THE CAPT CLBED FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT TO 4000 FT!!! DTW APCH ASKED US WHAT OUR FLT ALT WAS. THE CAPT TOLD ME HE THOUGHT HE GOT A 4000 FT CLB CLRNC. I RELAYED THAT TO THE CTLR. HE SAID 'NO PROB' AND INSTRUCTED US TO DSND TO 3000 FT. WE FINALLY LANDED AT DTW. THE CTLRS DID NOT ASK US TO TELEPHONE THEM. SO, I DO NOT THINK THERE IS A VIOLATION HEADED OUR WAY. THE CAPT IS A NEW CAPT STILL ON HIGH MINIMUMS. IT WAS NOT A PLEASANT TIME IN THE COCKPIT THAT DAY. I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT FOR YOUR DATABASE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT I WILL TRY TO HAVE EVEN MORE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN HIGH WORKLOAD TIMES. I FEEL BAD THIS HAPPENED.

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.