Narrative:

On a short flight from alb to pwm we had an altitude deviation of approximately 1000 ft. We were in our 11TH hour of a 12 hour crew duty day at approximately XA20 pm. A very light aircraft load coupled with extremely cold temperatures made aircraft performance much better than normal. We estimate the aircraft was climbing in excess of 4000 FPM at the time of the deviation. Our clearance from ZBW was to climb to FL270. Passing FL230 the captain and I began to discuss the possibility of tower closure operations at pwm while studying our approach plates. Climbing through FL270 the altitude chime reminder sounded (normally sounds 500 ft above/below setting) and the captain immediately disengaged the autoplt while manually pushing forward on the yoke. We continued to climb to approximately FL279 before descending back to our flight level of FL270. ZBW made no mention of our altitude deviation and a quick scan of the TCASII indicated no conflicting aircraft within 25 mi. Basically, our crew coordination broke down by neglecting the 1 axiom pilots learn from the beginning of their flying careers to never disregard. That is 'someone needs to constantly fly the aircraft.' we both became occupied studying our approach plates and let the aircraft pass through our altitude clearance. Contributing factors were the better than normal aircraft performance and the later hour of the day, in a long crew duty period.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CLBING TO FL270. FLC BUSY STUDYING THEIR APCH PLATES AND FORGETTING THE EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE OF THE LIGHT ACFT ON A COLD DAY ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB TO FL279 BEFORE CORRECTING.

Narrative: ON A SHORT FLT FROM ALB TO PWM WE HAD AN ALTDEV OF APPROX 1000 FT. WE WERE IN OUR 11TH HR OF A 12 HR CREW DUTY DAY AT APPROX XA20 PM. A VERY LIGHT ACFT LOAD COUPLED WITH EXTREMELY COLD TEMPS MADE ACFT PERFORMANCE MUCH BETTER THAN NORMAL. WE ESTIMATE THE ACFT WAS CLBING IN EXCESS OF 4000 FPM AT THE TIME OF THE DEV. OUR CLRNC FROM ZBW WAS TO CLB TO FL270. PASSING FL230 THE CAPT AND I BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF TWR CLOSURE OPS AT PWM WHILE STUDYING OUR APCH PLATES. CLBING THROUGH FL270 THE ALT CHIME REMINDER SOUNDED (NORMALLY SOUNDS 500 FT ABOVE/BELOW SETTING) AND THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT WHILE MANUALLY PUSHING FORWARD ON THE YOKE. WE CONTINUED TO CLB TO APPROX FL279 BEFORE DSNDING BACK TO OUR FLT LEVEL OF FL270. ZBW MADE NO MENTION OF OUR ALTDEV AND A QUICK SCAN OF THE TCASII INDICATED NO CONFLICTING ACFT WITHIN 25 MI. BASICALLY, OUR CREW COORD BROKE DOWN BY NEGLECTING THE 1 AXIOM PLTS LEARN FROM THE BEGINNING OF THEIR FLYING CAREERS TO NEVER DISREGARD. THAT IS 'SOMEONE NEEDS TO CONSTANTLY FLY THE ACFT.' WE BOTH BECAME OCCUPIED STUDYING OUR APCH PLATES AND LET THE ACFT PASS THROUGH OUR ALT CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE BETTER THAN NORMAL ACFT PERFORMANCE AND THE LATER HR OF THE DAY, IN A LONG CREW DUTY PERIOD.

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.