Narrative:

Hand flying during climb. Lots of ATC chatter. Noticed altitude, immediately reduced power and returned to FL210. Exceeded FL210 by a maximum of 600 ft. No other known traffic nearby, no loss of separation. I believe this was caused by: 1) loss of discipline monitoring cleared altitude. 2) loss of discipline making required callouts approaching altitude. 3) this type of 'glass instrument' gives almost no warning approaching altitudes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a captain on the B777-200 and he said that he has had difficulty with the digital presentation at times. In this case, he was surprised when he overshot the altitude because he had been flying this aircraft for several months and thought that he was completely aware of the system and the instrument display cues. However, he did admit that he had rarely hand flown the aircraft and was doing so to not lose his ability. When hand flying the B777 the pilot does not receive a chime as the aircraft gets within 1000 ft of the selected altitude or a light as the aircraft gets within 250 ft of the altitude as had been the norm in the previous aircraft he has flown at his airline. Instead the altitude indicator on the primary display alerts by displaying a box around it. The reporter said that this is a bit too subtle for him. The captain said that since this incident he has decided to include the altitude alerter in his scan of the instruments and he carefully briefs his first officer that they will follow all standard procedure including the altitude callout procedure. The reporter said that he had not heard from the FAA then or later and does not think the controller saw the deviation because of his workload.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B777 FLC CLBED ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT THEN QUICKLY DSNDED BACK TO IT WITHOUT, APPARENTLY, A CONFLICT OR NOTICE FROM THE CTLR.

Narrative: HAND FLYING DURING CLB. LOTS OF ATC CHATTER. NOTICED ALT, IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AND RETURNED TO FL210. EXCEEDED FL210 BY A MAX OF 600 FT. NO OTHER KNOWN TFC NEARBY, NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. I BELIEVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY: 1) LOSS OF DISCIPLINE MONITORING CLRED ALT. 2) LOSS OF DISCIPLINE MAKING REQUIRED CALLOUTS APCHING ALT. 3) THIS TYPE OF 'GLASS INST' GIVES ALMOST NO WARNING APCHING ALTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A CAPT ON THE B777-200 AND HE SAID THAT HE HAS HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THE DIGITAL PRESENTATION AT TIMES. IN THIS CASE, HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN HE OVERSHOT THE ALT BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN FLYING THIS ACFT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND THOUGHT THAT HE WAS COMPLETELY AWARE OF THE SYS AND THE INST DISPLAY CUES. HOWEVER, HE DID ADMIT THAT HE HAD RARELY HAND FLOWN THE ACFT AND WAS DOING SO TO NOT LOSE HIS ABILITY. WHEN HAND FLYING THE B777 THE PLT DOES NOT RECEIVE A CHIME AS THE ACFT GETS WITHIN 1000 FT OF THE SELECTED ALT OR A LIGHT AS THE ACFT GETS WITHIN 250 FT OF THE ALT AS HAD BEEN THE NORM IN THE PREVIOUS ACFT HE HAS FLOWN AT HIS AIRLINE. INSTEAD THE ALT INDICATOR ON THE PRIMARY DISPLAY ALERTS BY DISPLAYING A BOX AROUND IT. THE RPTR SAID THAT THIS IS A BIT TOO SUBTLE FOR HIM. THE CAPT SAID THAT SINCE THIS INCIDENT HE HAS DECIDED TO INCLUDE THE ALT ALERTER IN HIS SCAN OF THE INSTS AND HE CAREFULLY BRIEFS HIS FO THAT THEY WILL FOLLOW ALL STANDARD PROC INCLUDING THE ALT CALLOUT PROC. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA THEN OR LATER AND DOES NOT THINK THE CTLR SAW THE DEV BECAUSE OF HIS WORKLOAD.

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.