B737-400 climbs through assigned 8000 ft altitude.

Attributes
ACN	348583
Time
Date	199609
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8440
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : jfk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 16331 flight time type : 5975
ASRS Report	348583
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	348450
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
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:

Departed lga runway 13, whitestone climb. Departure control cleared us to 8000 ft. At 7000 ft, both pilots called '7000 ft for 8000 ft,' altitude alerter warned of an overshoot at 8300 ft and immediately corrected back to 8000 ft. Controller called to confirm we were assigned 8000 ft as I began the correction, maximum altitude was 8440 ft. Contributing factors: power management control was inoperative, therefore, autothrottle was off. Captain was fighting (and commenting on) out of rig thrust levers which were 2 knob widths apart for equal thrust settings. Controller was simultaneously giving us a series of left turns for vectors to overhead jfk. This aircraft series (the -300 and -400 B737's) acquires, but does not hold an altitude for the flight director unless the rate of climb is a low value (+/-500 FPM or less), and, as is my habit, I was hand flying the aircraft. Given the complexity of the departure, coupled with this airplane's limitations (the MEL), I would have been wiser to have used the autoplt and will do so in similar complex sits.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 CLBS THROUGH ASSIGNED 8000 FT ALT.

Narrative: DEPARTED LGA RWY 13, WHITESTONE CLB. DEP CTL CLRED US TO 8000 FT. AT 7000 FT, BOTH PLTS CALLED '7000 FT FOR 8000 FT,' ALT ALERTER WARNED OF AN OVERSHOOT AT 8300 FT AND IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BACK TO 8000 FT. CTLR CALLED TO CONFIRM WE WERE ASSIGNED 8000 FT AS I BEGAN THE CORRECTION, MAX ALT WAS 8440 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PWR MGMNT CTL WAS INOP, THEREFORE, AUTOTHROTTLE WAS OFF. CAPT WAS FIGHTING (AND COMMENTING ON) OUT OF RIG THRUST LEVERS WHICH WERE 2 KNOB WIDTHS APART FOR EQUAL THRUST SETTINGS. CTLR WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVING US A SERIES OF L TURNS FOR VECTORS TO OVERHEAD JFK. THIS ACFT SERIES (THE -300 AND -400 B737'S) ACQUIRES, BUT DOES NOT HOLD AN ALT FOR THE FLT DIRECTOR UNLESS THE RATE OF CLB IS A LOW VALUE (+/-500 FPM OR LESS), AND, AS IS MY HABIT, I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE DEP, COUPLED WITH THIS AIRPLANE'S LIMITATIONS (THE MEL), I WOULD HAVE BEEN WISER TO HAVE USED THE AUTOPLT AND WILL DO SO IN SIMILAR COMPLEX SITS.

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.