Narrative:

The captain was flying the airplane. While leveling off at FL330 we received a new route clearance from center for WX avoidance. I (first officer) looked down to grab my chart and when I looked back up, the captain was entering waypoints in the GPS. About that time, center asked us if we received clearance for FL370 from the previous controller. We were at FL333, 300 ft high. I responded stating that we had encountered turbulence and were correcting, at which time the captain pushed with heavy force, nose down, pitch to correct his mistake. We ended up with a 20 degree nose down pitch attitude and lost 1500 ft in altitude almost stalling the craft to check his descent. I have fully stalled a DC8 at both low altitude and at high altitude and it can get pretty interesting to say the least. I attribute these mistakes to his inexperience and possibly his basic procedural training. He forgot to listen closely at the time. Basic rules: 'one person flies' the other handles everything else, unless the person flying can't fly the airplane in that particular event. As for the recovery technique of being 300 ft high, he probably will not do it that way next time, which just proves the old adage, 'experience is the mother of all learning.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC8-71F OVERCORRECTED AFTER OVERSHOOTING CRUISE ALT BY 300 FT. THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS THEN OVERSHOT ON DSCNT BY 1500 FT RESULTING IN ALMOST STALLING THE ACFT UPON RECOVERY FROM TOO SEVERE OF A PITCH OVER.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. WHILE LEVELING OFF AT FL330 WE RECEIVED A NEW RTE CLRNC FROM CTR FOR WX AVOIDANCE. I (FO) LOOKED DOWN TO GRAB MY CHART AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP, THE CAPT WAS ENTERING WAYPOINTS IN THE GPS. ABOUT THAT TIME, CTR ASKED US IF WE RECEIVED CLRNC FOR FL370 FROM THE PREVIOUS CTLR. WE WERE AT FL333, 300 FT HIGH. I RESPONDED STATING THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED TURB AND WERE CORRECTING, AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT PUSHED WITH HVY FORCE, NOSE DOWN, PITCH TO CORRECT HIS MISTAKE. WE ENDED UP WITH A 20 DEG NOSE DOWN PITCH ATTITUDE AND LOST 1500 FT IN ALT ALMOST STALLING THE CRAFT TO CHK HIS DSCNT. I HAVE FULLY STALLED A DC8 AT BOTH LOW ALT AND AT HIGH ALT AND IT CAN GET PRETTY INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST. I ATTRIBUTE THESE MISTAKES TO HIS INEXPERIENCE AND POSSIBLY HIS BASIC PROCEDURAL TRAINING. HE FORGOT TO LISTEN CLOSELY AT THE TIME. BASIC RULES: 'ONE PERSON FLIES' THE OTHER HANDLES EVERYTHING ELSE, UNLESS THE PERSON FLYING CAN'T FLY THE AIRPLANE IN THAT PARTICULAR EVENT. AS FOR THE RECOVERY TECHNIQUE OF BEING 300 FT HIGH, HE PROBABLY WILL NOT DO IT THAT WAY NEXT TIME, WHICH JUST PROVES THE OLD ADAGE, 'EXPERIENCE IS THE MOTHER OF ALL LEARNING.'

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.