Large transport climbs 1000 ft beyond assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	348350
Time
Date	199609
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rbv airport : jfk
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
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 : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 3000
ASRS Report	348350
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 425 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2891
ASRS Report	348353
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our flight was climbing out of jfk and we were cleared to 17000 ft. The center gave us a restr of 250 KTS for spacing to atl. The altitude alert tone (500 ft prior) was very weak and must have alerted at the same time as the 250 KT restr transmission. We climbed to FL180 before first officer noticed altitude excursion (while adjusting altitude alert dim switch). The flight returned to 17000 ft and center queried on altitude given by departure. Contributing factors were: early morning get up (captain and first officer early body time and so at earlier body time), inaudible altitude alert system on aircraft, some task saturation with vectors, altitude changes, and airspeed changes during climb checklist. Breakdown in backup and primary scan, captain's speaker was on loud. The so should have done a better job of backing up the captain and first officer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT CLBS 1000 FT BEYOND ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS CLBING OUT OF JFK AND WE WERE CLRED TO 17000 FT. THE CTR GAVE US A RESTR OF 250 KTS FOR SPACING TO ATL. THE ALT ALERT TONE (500 FT PRIOR) WAS VERY WEAK AND MUST HAVE ALERTED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE 250 KT RESTR XMISSION. WE CLBED TO FL180 BEFORE FO NOTICED ALT EXCURSION (WHILE ADJUSTING ALT ALERT DIM SWITCH). THE FLT RETURNED TO 17000 FT AND CTR QUERIED ON ALT GIVEN BY DEP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: EARLY MORNING GET UP (CAPT AND FO EARLY BODY TIME AND SO AT EARLIER BODY TIME), INAUDIBLE ALT ALERT SYS ON ACFT, SOME TASK SATURATION WITH VECTORS, ALT CHANGES, AND AIRSPD CHANGES DURING CLB CHKLIST. BREAKDOWN IN BACKUP AND PRIMARY SCAN, CAPT'S SPEAKER WAS ON LOUD. THE SO SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF BACKING UP THE CAPT AND FO.

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.