Altitude deviation altitude overshot in climb.

Attributes
ACN	317460
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sat
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	317460
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	317567
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on departure from sat we were cleared to 8000 ft. I was flying the departure as the first officer, and was having to deviate extensively in the climb out for several thunderstorms that were in and around the departure climb. I engaged the autoplt to free up my attention for the WX avoidance. I engaged the speed select mode for the power setting, and the vertical speed mode for the climb. 8000 ft was set and indicated armed in the flight guidance system display and the vertical speed was at approximately 1600 FPM. We had just been given a heading by departure control and were in the process of clearing a couple of thunderstorm cells when the altitude alert horn went off. We were passing through 8300 ft and I immediately disconnected the autoplt and autothrottles and lowered the nose to bring the aircraft back down to 8000 ft. Just prior to leveling at 8000 ft, the departure controller gave us a climb clearance to 13000 ft. The controller made no mention of our inadvertent altitude deviation, prior to handing us off to ZHU. Departure control frequency was 125.1 and we were approximately 10-20 NM from the sat VOR. The highest altitude in the deviation was approximately 8500 ft. The time that we needed the automation the most was time that we needed to be the most vigilant of the total picture.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN CLB.

Narrative: WHILE ON DEP FROM SAT WE WERE CLRED TO 8000 FT. I WAS FLYING THE DEP AS THE FO, AND WAS HAVING TO DEVIATE EXTENSIVELY IN THE CLBOUT FOR SEVERAL TSTMS THAT WERE IN AND AROUND THE DEP CLB. I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT TO FREE UP MY ATTN FOR THE WX AVOIDANCE. I ENGAGED THE SPD SELECT MODE FOR THE PWR SETTING, AND THE VERT SPD MODE FOR THE CLB. 8000 FT WAS SET AND INDICATED ARMED IN THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS DISPLAY AND THE VERT SPD WAS AT APPROX 1600 FPM. WE HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN A HDG BY DEP CTL AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CLRING A COUPLE OF TSTM CELLS WHEN THE ALT ALERT HORN WENT OFF. WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 8300 FT AND I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO BRING THE ACFT BACK DOWN TO 8000 FT. JUST PRIOR TO LEVELING AT 8000 FT, THE DEP CTLR GAVE US A CLB CLRNC TO 13000 FT. THE CTLR MADE NO MENTION OF OUR INADVERTENT ALTDEV, PRIOR TO HANDING US OFF TO ZHU. DEP CTL FREQ WAS 125.1 AND WE WERE APPROX 10-20 NM FROM THE SAT VOR. THE HIGHEST ALT IN THE DEV WAS APPROX 8500 FT. THE TIME THAT WE NEEDED THE AUTOMATION THE MOST WAS TIME THAT WE NEEDED TO BE THE MOST VIGILANT OF THE TOTAL PICTURE.

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.