Aircraft climbs 1000 ft high for cruise flight.

Attributes
ACN	315220
Time
Date	199509
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : swr
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 30000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	315220
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	315422
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Enroute from sfo to den on climb out ZOA cleared us to FL290 which was our requested final altitude. We set our altitude alerter to FL290. Both pilots responded verbally and pointed when the altitude alert was set. At FL280 the SOP callout 28 for 29 was made and responded to. I (the captain) was the PF. I leveled off at what I thought was FL290. Just after leveling off ZOA called and asked what altitude we were at. Only then did we realize that I had leveled off 1000 ft high. The ZOA controller asked if we wished to continue climb to FL330. We responded affirmatively. We were cleared to FL330 and continued climb to FL330. No traffic conflict existed or was caused. All SOP's were observed. There were no distrs. Workload was low. So why did 2 experienced pilots miss this altitude deviation? This is my best guess. The altimeter was the old type with 3 pointers (non digital). Some of the aircraft we fly are still equipped with these altimeters. They are much harder to read and interpret than the digital type. Also if the altitude alert worked after we inadvertently climbed through our assigned altitude (neither one of us recall that it did) it did not do its intended job. It did not effectively get our attention when we passed through our assigned altitude. The system we have gives us a light and a tone approaching an assigned and selected altitude and automatically goes out when approaching the altitude. If one passes through the assigned altitude the same light and tone comes on again and goes out automatically. In other words the alert for approaching an assigned altitude is the same as the alert for deviating. It is not distinctive enough to draw one's attention to a deviation. Supplemental information from acn 315422: we had heard no tone from the altitude alerter as we passed through the assigned altitude of FL290. The alerter was still set at FL290. The altitude alerter functioned normally the remainder of the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CLBS 1000 FT HIGH FOR CRUISE FLT.

Narrative: ENROUTE FROM SFO TO DEN ON CLBOUT ZOA CLRED US TO FL290 WHICH WAS OUR REQUESTED FINAL ALT. WE SET OUR ALT ALERTER TO FL290. BOTH PLTS RESPONDED VERBALLY AND POINTED WHEN THE ALT ALERT WAS SET. AT FL280 THE SOP CALLOUT 28 FOR 29 WAS MADE AND RESPONDED TO. I (THE CAPT) WAS THE PF. I LEVELED OFF AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FL290. JUST AFTER LEVELING OFF ZOA CALLED AND ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE AT. ONLY THEN DID WE REALIZE THAT I HAD LEVELED OFF 1000 FT HIGH. THE ZOA CTLR ASKED IF WE WISHED TO CONTINUE CLB TO FL330. WE RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY. WE WERE CLRED TO FL330 AND CONTINUED CLB TO FL330. NO TFC CONFLICT EXISTED OR WAS CAUSED. ALL SOP'S WERE OBSERVED. THERE WERE NO DISTRS. WORKLOAD WAS LOW. SO WHY DID 2 EXPERIENCED PLTS MISS THIS ALT DEV? THIS IS MY BEST GUESS. THE ALTIMETER WAS THE OLD TYPE WITH 3 POINTERS (NON DIGITAL). SOME OF THE ACFT WE FLY ARE STILL EQUIPPED WITH THESE ALTIMETERS. THEY ARE MUCH HARDER TO READ AND INTERPRET THAN THE DIGITAL TYPE. ALSO IF THE ALT ALERT WORKED AFTER WE INADVERTENTLY CLBED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT (NEITHER ONE OF US RECALL THAT IT DID) IT DID NOT DO ITS INTENDED JOB. IT DID NOT EFFECTIVELY GET OUR ATTN WHEN WE PASSED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE SYS WE HAVE GIVES US A LIGHT AND A TONE APCHING AN ASSIGNED AND SELECTED ALT AND AUTOMATICALLY GOES OUT WHEN APCHING THE ALT. IF ONE PASSES THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT THE SAME LIGHT AND TONE COMES ON AGAIN AND GOES OUT AUTOMATICALLY. IN OTHER WORDS THE ALERT FOR APCHING AN ASSIGNED ALT IS THE SAME AS THE ALERT FOR DEVIATING. IT IS NOT DISTINCTIVE ENOUGH TO DRAW ONE'S ATTN TO A DEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 315422: WE HAD HEARD NO TONE FROM THE ALT ALERTER AS WE PASSED THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT OF FL290. THE ALERTER WAS STILL SET AT FL290. THE ALT ALERTER FUNCTIONED NORMALLY THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT.

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.