Flight crew overshoots assigned altitude 500 ft.

Attributes
ACN	312479
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	312479
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1650
ASRS Report	312480
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During climb from FL290 to FL310. At about FL300 captain's compass system precessed greater than 10 degrees. Used the compass switching feature to put both on first officer's system and his precessed greater than 10 degrees. While trying to stay on heading flying by magnetic compass all of us in the cockpit were concentrating on the compass problem and allowed the aircraft to climb 500 ft past our assigned altitude. When controller queried us as to our assigned altitude, I started to pay attention to the main job of flying the airplane first and worrying about everything else after that.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT 500 FT.

Narrative: DURING CLB FROM FL290 TO FL310. AT ABOUT FL300 CAPT'S COMPASS SYS PRECESSED GREATER THAN 10 DEGS. USED THE COMPASS SWITCHING FEATURE TO PUT BOTH ON FO'S SYS AND HIS PRECESSED GREATER THAN 10 DEGS. WHILE TRYING TO STAY ON HDG FLYING BY MAGNETIC COMPASS ALL OF US IN THE COCKPIT WERE CONCENTRATING ON THE COMPASS PROB AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB 500 FT PAST OUR ASSIGNED ALT. WHEN CTLR QUERIED US AS TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT, I STARTED TO PAY ATTN TO THE MAIN JOB OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE FIRST AND WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE AFTER THAT.

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.