Narrative:

On climb out from swf we were cleared to 5000 ft and that was set into altitude alerter. At approximately 3000 ft I switched to the secondary radio to give the company our off times. They asked me a question that required me to look up information from a previous flight. After finishing that task I returned my scan to the instruments. The captain was passing 6000 ft and climbing at 1800 FPM, but the altitude alerter was still set at 5000 ft. I was pointing at the alerter setting and asking if we'd been cleared higher when departure asked what we were doing at 7000 ft. Captain leveled the aircraft and started us back down when departure cleared us to 7000 ft and switched us to ZBW. Old model alerter was installed which has a very faint aural alert allowing signal to go unnoticed. I started other duties before reaching the assigned altitude and thus failed to provide adequate backup. This was the 4TH leg of a 7 leg day and as the aircraft had arrived late from a previous flight we were pressed to make up time to get back on schedule. I had been in the seat for 5 hours with only a 20 min break prior to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER FLC OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT DURING DEP. THE OLD MODEL ALT ALERTER HAD ONLY GIVEN A FAINT AURAL SIGNAL WHICH WENT UNNOTICED.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM SWF WE WERE CLRED TO 5000 FT AND THAT WAS SET INTO ALT ALERTER. AT APPROX 3000 FT I SWITCHED TO THE SECONDARY RADIO TO GIVE THE COMPANY OUR OFF TIMES. THEY ASKED ME A QUESTION THAT REQUIRED ME TO LOOK UP INFO FROM A PREVIOUS FLT. AFTER FINISHING THAT TASK I RETURNED MY SCAN TO THE INSTS. THE CAPT WAS PASSING 6000 FT AND CLBING AT 1800 FPM, BUT THE ALT ALERTER WAS STILL SET AT 5000 FT. I WAS POINTING AT THE ALERTER SETTING AND ASKING IF WE'D BEEN CLRED HIGHER WHEN DEP ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING AT 7000 FT. CAPT LEVELED THE ACFT AND STARTED US BACK DOWN WHEN DEP CLRED US TO 7000 FT AND SWITCHED US TO ZBW. OLD MODEL ALERTER WAS INSTALLED WHICH HAS A VERY FAINT AURAL ALERT ALLOWING SIGNAL TO GO UNNOTICED. I STARTED OTHER DUTIES BEFORE REACHING THE ASSIGNED ALT AND THUS FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE BACKUP. THIS WAS THE 4TH LEG OF A 7 LEG DAY AND AS THE ACFT HAD ARRIVED LATE FROM A PREVIOUS FLT WE WERE PRESSED TO MAKE UP TIME TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE. I HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT FOR 5 HRS WITH ONLY A 20 MIN BREAK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

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.