Narrative:

After departing frg airport, en route to our first departure fix, we were instructed by ATC to fly a heading of 360 degrees because of a line of thunderstorms just west of our departure fix. The controller told us to maintain FL280 and contact ZNY for a rerte. We contacted ZNY, who issued a new routing to us. As I was entering the data in the FMS it became clear to me that this routing to pwk (our destination) was invalid, as the FMS was not taking the information. I asked my first officer to clarify the routing with ATC. He attempted to do so but we were given a frequency change at this time to ZBW. On our initial call to ZBW, he told us to fly direct to alb VOR, climb to FL310 and when able proceed direct syr VOR. At this time I again asked my first officer to clarify the routing after syr. We were again given invalid routing (route break on FMS). At this point my first officer became engrossed in looking on our high and low altitude en route charts to find where the problem was. I tried again to enter routing on the FMS (this took approximately 2 mins). I looked up to see my flight instruments and at this time noted the altimeter reading FL312 and climbing. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and attempted to descend to FL310, but our 1000 FPM rate of climb carried us to FL313 before corrective action was initiated. Approximately 5 seconds later ZBW told us to maintain FL310. I looked at my TCASII display which was in the 'loop up' mode but saw no conflicting traffic within a 40 mi radius. ATC finally gave us a route that was valid and we continued on to pwk without further incident. I believe that the complexity of FMS programming is not addressed in initial training at school because each aircraft has different equipment. However, this leaves the flight crew to 'learn as they fly.' this effectively took my first officer out of the loop in that if he was programming the FMS, I could have concentrated more on monitoring the aircraft. I should have let the first officer fly the aircraft with the autoplt rather than me do all the tasks. The entire crew was distraction, and we both failed to monitor the performance of the aircraft. I should have just put my HSI in the VOR mode rather than display FMS course information. This would have allowed us to focus more on the aircraft. I believe, however, that all GA pilots with FMS's on board attend FMS specific simulator training on their units before operating an aircraft with the unit installed. There is no regulation that governs this other than far part 91 which states I must be familiar with the operation of all equipment. So I am left to read a book on the FMS and then go fly it in real life. This is unacceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR LTT WAS CLRED TO CLB TO FL310. WHILE TRYING TO REPROGRAM THE FMS, THE ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO CLB TO FL313. COMPANY TRAINING POLICY ON FMC CRITICIZED.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING FRG ARPT, ENRTE TO OUR FIRST DEP FIX, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO FLY A HDG OF 360 DEGS BECAUSE OF A LINE OF TSTMS JUST W OF OUR DEP FIX. THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL280 AND CONTACT ZNY FOR A RERTE. WE CONTACTED ZNY, WHO ISSUED A NEW ROUTING TO US. AS I WAS ENTERING THE DATA IN THE FMS IT BECAME CLR TO ME THAT THIS ROUTING TO PWK (OUR DEST) WAS INVALID, AS THE FMS WAS NOT TAKING THE INFO. I ASKED MY FO TO CLARIFY THE ROUTING WITH ATC. HE ATTEMPTED TO DO SO BUT WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE AT THIS TIME TO ZBW. ON OUR INITIAL CALL TO ZBW, HE TOLD US TO FLY DIRECT TO ALB VOR, CLB TO FL310 AND WHEN ABLE PROCEED DIRECT SYR VOR. AT THIS TIME I AGAIN ASKED MY FO TO CLARIFY THE ROUTING AFTER SYR. WE WERE AGAIN GIVEN INVALID ROUTING (RTE BREAK ON FMS). AT THIS POINT MY FO BECAME ENGROSSED IN LOOKING ON OUR HIGH AND LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS TO FIND WHERE THE PROB WAS. I TRIED AGAIN TO ENTER ROUTING ON THE FMS (THIS TOOK APPROX 2 MINS). I LOOKED UP TO SEE MY FLT INSTS AND AT THIS TIME NOTED THE ALTIMETER READING FL312 AND CLBING. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ATTEMPTED TO DSND TO FL310, BUT OUR 1000 FPM RATE OF CLB CARRIED US TO FL313 BEFORE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS INITIATED. APPROX 5 SECONDS LATER ZBW TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL310. I LOOKED AT MY TCASII DISPLAY WHICH WAS IN THE 'LOOP UP' MODE BUT SAW NO CONFLICTING TFC WITHIN A 40 MI RADIUS. ATC FINALLY GAVE US A RTE THAT WAS VALID AND WE CONTINUED ON TO PWK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPLEXITY OF FMS PROGRAMMING IS NOT ADDRESSED IN INITIAL TRAINING AT SCHOOL BECAUSE EACH ACFT HAS DIFFERENT EQUIP. HOWEVER, THIS LEAVES THE FLC TO 'LEARN AS THEY FLY.' THIS EFFECTIVELY TOOK MY FO OUT OF THE LOOP IN THAT IF HE WAS PROGRAMMING THE FMS, I COULD HAVE CONCENTRATED MORE ON MONITORING THE ACFT. I SHOULD HAVE LET THE FO FLY THE ACFT WITH THE AUTOPLT RATHER THAN ME DO ALL THE TASKS. THE ENTIRE CREW WAS DISTR, AND WE BOTH FAILED TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT. I SHOULD HAVE JUST PUT MY HSI IN THE VOR MODE RATHER THAN DISPLAY FMS COURSE INFO. THIS WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO FOCUS MORE ON THE ACFT. I BELIEVE, HOWEVER, THAT ALL GA PLTS WITH FMS'S ON BOARD ATTEND FMS SPECIFIC SIMULATOR TRAINING ON THEIR UNITS BEFORE OPERATING AN ACFT WITH THE UNIT INSTALLED. THERE IS NO REG THAT GOVERNS THIS OTHER THAN FAR PART 91 WHICH STATES I MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH THE OP OF ALL EQUIP. SO I AM LEFT TO READ A BOOK ON THE FMS AND THEN GO FLY IT IN REAL LIFE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

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.