Narrative:

Flying a B-737-300 on the laguardia 6 whitestone climb departure I failed to start a required left turn to 040 degrees at the 2.5 DME fix lga VOR. I remembered that this departure required a left turn passing 205 degrees. I started a left turn and completed the departure. Climbing through 15000 ft the copilot said 'level off.' I flew through the assigned altitude and immediately leveled off and returned to 15000 ft AGL. The maximum gross weight takeoff and departure were well briefed. A 19 min ground delay was encountered that involved continuous taxiing to accommodate other ground traffic. Preparation for the bleeds off takeoff was distracting at the last moment before takeoff. Even though I have flown the new york departures many times, I should have taken time to review the departure again prior to taking the runway. When airborne I glanced at the departure and was misled by the closely spaced flight path depiction of the various departures on the laguardia 6. I initiated a turn that would have complied with the mespethe climb, not the assigned whitestone. I was reviewing my poor performance on the departure when I flew through my assigned altitude. I should have put that error behind me and devoted my full attention to flying the aircraft. Perhaps it would be helpful to all pilots to expand the laguardia 6 departure to 2 or 4 pages, displaying the departures in a less crowded manner. Departures could be displayed by runways or perhaps by departure direction such as north, south or west.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 737-300 DOES NOT COMPLY WITH DEP PROC THEN FAILS TO LEVEL OFF AT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: FLYING A B-737-300 ON THE LAGUARDIA 6 WHITESTONE CLB DEP I FAILED TO START A REQUIRED L TURN TO 040 DEGS AT THE 2.5 DME FIX LGA VOR. I REMEMBERED THAT THIS DEP REQUIRED A L TURN PASSING 205 DEGS. I STARTED A L TURN AND COMPLETED THE DEP. CLBING THROUGH 15000 FT THE COPLT SAID 'LEVEL OFF.' I FLEW THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT AND IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF AND RETURNED TO 15000 FT AGL. THE MAX GROSS WT TKOF AND DEP WERE WELL BRIEFED. A 19 MIN GND DELAY WAS ENCOUNTERED THAT INVOLVED CONTINUOUS TAXIING TO ACCOMMODATE OTHER GND TFC. PREPARATION FOR THE BLEEDS OFF TKOF WAS DISTRACTING AT THE LAST MOMENT BEFORE TKOF. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE FLOWN THE NEW YORK DEPS MANY TIMES, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN TIME TO REVIEW THE DEP AGAIN PRIOR TO TAKING THE RWY. WHEN AIRBORNE I GLANCED AT THE DEP AND WAS MISLED BY THE CLOSELY SPACED FLT PATH DEPICTION OF THE VARIOUS DEPS ON THE LAGUARDIA 6. I INITIATED A TURN THAT WOULD HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE MESPETHE CLB, NOT THE ASSIGNED WHITESTONE. I WAS REVIEWING MY POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE DEP WHEN I FLEW THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT. I SHOULD HAVE PUT THAT ERROR BEHIND ME AND DEVOTED MY FULL ATTN TO FLYING THE ACFT. PERHAPS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ALL PLTS TO EXPAND THE LAGUARDIA 6 DEP TO 2 OR 4 PAGES, DISPLAYING THE DEPS IN A LESS CROWDED MANNER. DEPS COULD BE DISPLAYED BY RWYS OR PERHAPS BY DEP DIRECTION SUCH AS N, S OR W.

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.