Altitude deviation. An air carrier flight crew is distracted by frequency change and inoperative aut...

Attributes
ACN	325570
Time
Date	199601
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	325570
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My co-pilot was flying this flight from oakland to los angeles. Our airplane had no autothrottles today, so we briefed manual throttles earlier. We were cleared the skyline 2 departure off of runway 29, which includes to cross a point 4 NM northwest of oak VOR at or below 2000 ft. We briefed this at the gate before pushback and set 2000 ft in the altitude window. After takeoff and calling '1000 ft for 2000 ft,' oak tower did not hand us off to bay departure passing 1500 ft, so I, working the radios, asked them if we should switch to bay departure's frequency. They said 'yes' and as I switched over, my copilot said, 'what's going on?' as we passed 2300 ft, climbing and forgetting that our autothrottles weren't working. I brought the throttles to idle and lowered the nose to descend back to 2000 ft. We were indicating 2500 ft altitude at initial recovery. As I keyed the microphone, departure asked us to 'say altitude.' I responded that we were leveling off at 2000 ft, because now we were and they said to continue climb to 10000 ft. To prevent this from happening again, I'll level off at 2000 ft before doing the radios.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV. AN ACR FLC IS DISTRACTED BY FREQ CHANGE AND INOP AUTOTHROTTLES AND CLBS ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: MY CO-PLT WAS FLYING THIS FLT FROM OAKLAND TO LOS ANGELES. OUR AIRPLANE HAD NO AUTOTHROTTLES TODAY, SO WE BRIEFED MANUAL THROTTLES EARLIER. WE WERE CLRED THE SKYLINE 2 DEP OFF OF RWY 29, WHICH INCLUDES TO CROSS A POINT 4 NM NW OF OAK VOR AT OR BELOW 2000 FT. WE BRIEFED THIS AT THE GATE BEFORE PUSHBACK AND SET 2000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW. AFTER TKOF AND CALLING '1000 FT FOR 2000 FT,' OAK TWR DID NOT HAND US OFF TO BAY DEP PASSING 1500 FT, SO I, WORKING THE RADIOS, ASKED THEM IF WE SHOULD SWITCH TO BAY DEP'S FREQ. THEY SAID 'YES' AND AS I SWITCHED OVER, MY COPLT SAID, 'WHAT'S GOING ON?' AS WE PASSED 2300 FT, CLBING AND FORGETTING THAT OUR AUTOTHROTTLES WEREN'T WORKING. I BROUGHT THE THROTTLES TO IDLE AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO DSND BACK TO 2000 FT. WE WERE INDICATING 2500 FT ALT AT INITIAL RECOVERY. AS I KEYED THE MIKE, DEP ASKED US TO 'SAY ALT.' I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT 2000 FT, BECAUSE NOW WE WERE AND THEY SAID TO CONTINUE CLB TO 10000 FT. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I'LL LEVEL OFF AT 2000 FT BEFORE DOING THE RADIOS.

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.

Altitude deviation. An air carrier flight crew is distracted by frequency change and inoperative autothrottles and climbs above its assigned altitude.