Climbing air carrier B737 overshot assigned altitude of 10000 ft by 400 ft.

Attributes
ACN	389660
Time
Date	199712
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pye
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 15000
ASRS Report	389660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	389805
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:

On departure we were leveling at 10000 ft MSL with autoplt off in a very light aircraft. Departure cleared us to a fix that was not on the FMC. First officer was giving a departure message to company on the other frequency. I became distraction by the FMC and allowed the aircraft to climb. As altitude alert horn sounded, I eased the nose down but still gained 400 ft more in an effort to make a reasonably smooth pushover. Oak departure asked about our altitude. There were no apparent conflicts. Lesson: don't get distraction and forget to fly the airplane! Supplemental information from acn 389805: I heard the altitude alert horn sound and informed the captain to correct the aircraft's altitude as we were about 400 ft high.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLBING ACR B737 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT OF 10000 FT BY 400 FT.

Narrative: ON DEP WE WERE LEVELING AT 10000 FT MSL WITH AUTOPLT OFF IN A VERY LIGHT ACFT. DEP CLRED US TO A FIX THAT WAS NOT ON THE FMC. FO WAS GIVING A DEP MESSAGE TO COMPANY ON THE OTHER FREQ. I BECAME DISTR BY THE FMC AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB. AS ALT ALERT HORN SOUNDED, I EASED THE NOSE DOWN BUT STILL GAINED 400 FT MORE IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE A REASONABLY SMOOTH PUSHOVER. OAK DEP ASKED ABOUT OUR ALT. THERE WERE NO APPARENT CONFLICTS. LESSON: DON'T GET DISTR AND FORGET TO FLY THE AIRPLANE! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 389805: I HEARD THE ALT ALERT HORN SOUND AND INFORMED THE CAPT TO CORRECT THE ACFT'S ALT AS WE WERE ABOUT 400 FT HIGH.

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.