The flight crew of an medium large transport reported that, shortly after climbing through cloud top...

Attributes
ACN	332460
Time
Date	199604
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : odi
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
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 : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 197 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 11020
ASRS Report	332460
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	332528
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
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:

I was flying an air carrier flight from msp to cmh. We were cleared to climb to FL330. While still in the clouds I heard a transmission, 'there is a very impressive lunar eclipse going on.' we came out top of the clouds around FL280. There it was in the east directly in front of us, a full lunar eclipse. There was just a sliver of the moon forming a crescent lit by the sun at the very bottom. The totality was just over as we first spotted it, however, it was still impressive. I could see the dim glow of the 99 percent of the remainder of the disk of the moon that was lit by the earth shine. I explained to my first officer that, even though the sun is not shining on the moon, you could still see disk because of earth shine (the light from the sun reflected off the earth then going to the moon, giving it an eerie cast). In the past, only on the ground have I seen insignificant partial lunar eclipses. The splendor of seeing this event, a total eclipse, at altitude on a smooth night with a layer of clouds below us is undescribable. I was mesmerized. 'Altitude!' I heard my first officer's voice cry. I looked at my altimeter and saw that we were about to climb through FL340. I checked my first officer's altimeter to confirm, and saw the yellow light on the altitude alerter. I hurriedly but gently lowered the nose and pulled off some power to return to FL330. We heard several communications between center and other aircraft. As we passed through FL331 in leveling off for FL330 we heard center say our company name. The transmission stopped at that. Later we heard other center and aircraft xmissions. Then later we were cleared to the next frequency. I learned that mesmerizing and flying do not go well together. Supplemental information from acn 332528: the calls were made of 2000 ft to go and 1000 ft to go. When the altitude alerter went off we were climbing through 33500 ft. No one visible on TCASII and controller did not comment on deviation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF AN MLG RPTED THAT, SHORTLY AFTER CLBING THROUGH CLOUD TOPS, THEY BECAME SO MESMERIZED BY A LUNAR ECLIPSE THAT THEY OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT. THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED ALERTING THE FLC TO RETURN TO THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN ACR FLT FROM MSP TO CMH. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL330. WHILE STILL IN THE CLOUDS I HEARD A XMISSION, 'THERE IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE LUNAR ECLIPSE GOING ON.' WE CAME OUT TOP OF THE CLOUDS AROUND FL280. THERE IT WAS IN THE E DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, A FULL LUNAR ECLIPSE. THERE WAS JUST A SLIVER OF THE MOON FORMING A CRESCENT LIT BY THE SUN AT THE VERY BOTTOM. THE TOTALITY WAS JUST OVER AS WE FIRST SPOTTED IT, HOWEVER, IT WAS STILL IMPRESSIVE. I COULD SEE THE DIM GLOW OF THE 99 PERCENT OF THE REMAINDER OF THE DISK OF THE MOON THAT WAS LIT BY THE EARTH SHINE. I EXPLAINED TO MY FO THAT, EVEN THOUGH THE SUN IS NOT SHINING ON THE MOON, YOU COULD STILL SEE DISK BECAUSE OF EARTH SHINE (THE LIGHT FROM THE SUN REFLECTED OFF THE EARTH THEN GOING TO THE MOON, GIVING IT AN EERIE CAST). IN THE PAST, ONLY ON THE GND HAVE I SEEN INSIGNIFICANT PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSES. THE SPLENDOR OF SEEING THIS EVENT, A TOTAL ECLIPSE, AT ALT ON A SMOOTH NIGHT WITH A LAYER OF CLOUDS BELOW US IS UNDESCRIBABLE. I WAS MESMERIZED. 'ALT!' I HEARD MY FO'S VOICE CRY. I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO CLB THROUGH FL340. I CHKED MY FO'S ALTIMETER TO CONFIRM, AND SAW THE YELLOW LIGHT ON THE ALT ALERTER. I HURRIEDLY BUT GENTLY LOWERED THE NOSE AND PULLED OFF SOME PWR TO RETURN TO FL330. WE HEARD SEVERAL COMS BTWN CTR AND OTHER ACFT. AS WE PASSED THROUGH FL331 IN LEVELING OFF FOR FL330 WE HEARD CTR SAY OUR COMPANY NAME. THE XMISSION STOPPED AT THAT. LATER WE HEARD OTHER CTR AND ACFT XMISSIONS. THEN LATER WE WERE CLRED TO THE NEXT FREQ. I LEARNED THAT MESMERIZING AND FLYING DO NOT GO WELL TOGETHER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 332528: THE CALLS WERE MADE OF 2000 FT TO GO AND 1000 FT TO GO. WHEN THE ALT ALERTER WENT OFF WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 33500 FT. NO ONE VISIBLE ON TCASII AND CTLR DID NOT COMMENT ON DEV.

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.

The flight crew of an medium large transport reported that, shortly after climbing through cloud tops, they became so mesmerized by a lunar eclipse that they overshot their assigned altitude. The altitude alerter sounded alerting the flight crew to return to their assigned altitude.