MD80 flight crew overshot their altitude when distracted by the landing gear unsafe lights being ill...

Attributes
ACN	371340
Time
Date	199706
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp tower : acy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 10750 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	371340
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20750 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	371690
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 1600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

After departing runway 11 at msp, climbing through 4800 ft I noticed and called nose gear unsafe light illuminated. Captain instructed me to get out my cockpit operating manual. While I was opening the manual to the procedure to handle the unsafe gear light the light went out, then all 3 gear unsafe lights came on and then went out. We were distracted from flying the aircraft. A TCASII TA for an aircraft 1800 ft above us made us realize we were climbing through 7100 ft and our clearance was to level at 7000 ft. In the leveloff we got to 7280 ft before descending back to 7000 ft. We should not have let the gear unsafe lights distract us from flying the airplane. Supplemental information from acn 371690: while the other aircraft was nearly 5 mi away and not near a near miss situation, without the TCASII it could have been one. It really reminds one that one pilot must stay situationally aware at all times, fly the aircraft first.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC OVERSHOT THEIR ALT WHEN DISTRACTED BY THE LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHTS BEING ILLUMINATED.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING RWY 11 AT MSP, CLBING THROUGH 4800 FT I NOTICED AND CALLED NOSE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO GET OUT MY COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL. WHILE I WAS OPENING THE MANUAL TO THE PROC TO HANDLE THE UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT THE LIGHT WENT OUT, THEN ALL 3 GEAR UNSAFE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THEN WENT OUT. WE WERE DISTRACTED FROM FLYING THE ACFT. A TCASII TA FOR AN ACFT 1800 FT ABOVE US MADE US REALIZE WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 7100 FT AND OUR CLRNC WAS TO LEVEL AT 7000 FT. IN THE LEVELOFF WE GOT TO 7280 FT BEFORE DSNDING BACK TO 7000 FT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHTS DISTRACT US FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371690: WHILE THE OTHER ACFT WAS NEARLY 5 MI AWAY AND NOT NEAR A NEAR MISS SIT, WITHOUT THE TCASII IT COULD HAVE BEEN ONE. IT REALLY REMINDS ONE THAT ONE PLT MUST STAY SITUATIONALLY AWARE AT ALL TIMES, FLY THE ACFT FIRST.

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.

MD80 flight crew overshot their altitude when distracted by the landing gear unsafe lights being illuminated.