Narrative:

The captain was flying the aircraft during a runway 26R takeoff and prado 5 departure. Due to inattn, combined with the distraction of a helicopter which crossed our flight path shortly after takeoff, plus the distraction of responding to queries from the ont tower concerning our flight path/profile, we may have climbed through the 4000 ft restr slightly before reaching 6 mi from the pdz VOR. The tower's queries were somewhat disconcerting because we flew a normal noise abatement profile, yet the tower operator became concerned that we appeared on his radar equipment to be leveling off (in fact, after reaching 1000 ft AGL, we had reduced our climb rate to approximately 1000 FPM in order to raise the flaps and accelerate to normal climb speed of 210 KTS -- our normal noise abatement profile). In retrospect, it appears the tower's queries may have been due to the fact that, as we reduced our climb rate, we became a conflict with the helicopter which was transiting the airspace (under tower control) at 1000-1500 ft and 90 degrees to our flight path. As it turned out, our normal profile took us up over the helicopter by greater than 1000 ft. However, the multiple distrs combined to create a situation where we lost some situational awareness concerning the departure and its associated altitude restrs, resulting in the possible violation of the 4000 ft departure restr. Lesson learned: maintain situational awareness at all times. Don't allow oneself to be distraction by sits or ATC communications to the point that overall situational awareness is compromised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP B737-300 OVERSHOT ITS ALT AS SPECIFIED FOR THE SID. FLC CITES DISTR BY TWR CTLR WHO WAS CONCERNED WITH THEIR ALT AND OR CLB RATE. XING HELI WAS NOT ISSUED AS TFC.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT DURING A RWY 26R TKOF AND PRADO 5 DEP. DUE TO INATTN, COMBINED WITH THE DISTR OF A HELI WHICH CROSSED OUR FLT PATH SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, PLUS THE DISTR OF RESPONDING TO QUERIES FROM THE ONT TWR CONCERNING OUR FLT PATH/PROFILE, WE MAY HAVE CLBED THROUGH THE 4000 FT RESTR SLIGHTLY BEFORE REACHING 6 MI FROM THE PDZ VOR. THE TWR'S QUERIES WERE SOMEWHAT DISCONCERTING BECAUSE WE FLEW A NORMAL NOISE ABATEMENT PROFILE, YET THE TWR OPERATOR BECAME CONCERNED THAT WE APPEARED ON HIS RADAR EQUIP TO BE LEVELING OFF (IN FACT, AFTER REACHING 1000 FT AGL, WE HAD REDUCED OUR CLB RATE TO APPROX 1000 FPM IN ORDER TO RAISE THE FLAPS AND ACCELERATE TO NORMAL CLB SPD OF 210 KTS -- OUR NORMAL NOISE ABATEMENT PROFILE). IN RETROSPECT, IT APPEARS THE TWR'S QUERIES MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT, AS WE REDUCED OUR CLB RATE, WE BECAME A CONFLICT WITH THE HELI WHICH WAS TRANSITING THE AIRSPACE (UNDER TWR CTL) AT 1000-1500 FT AND 90 DEGS TO OUR FLT PATH. AS IT TURNED OUT, OUR NORMAL PROFILE TOOK US UP OVER THE HELI BY GREATER THAN 1000 FT. HOWEVER, THE MULTIPLE DISTRS COMBINED TO CREATE A SIT WHERE WE LOST SOME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CONCERNING THE DEP AND ITS ASSOCIATED ALT RESTRS, RESULTING IN THE POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE 4000 FT DEP RESTR. LESSON LEARNED: MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES. DON'T ALLOW ONESELF TO BE DISTR BY SITS OR ATC COMS TO THE POINT THAT OVERALL SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS COMPROMISED.

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.