Narrative:

We were operating a flight from lax to oak. Our departure clearance was the 'ventura two' departure with an initial altitude of 2000 ft MSL. This SID specifies a departure heading of 250 degrees for vectors to vtu VORTAC. When we were cleared on the runway and for takeoff, lax tower advised us of traffic on final (I don't remember how far out) and then changed our departure instructions to: 'after passing the lax VOR, turn left to heading 210 degrees, climb and maintain 3000 ft.' I was hand flying the aircraft and, because we were extremely light, I was leveling off prior to passing the lax VOR. During the climb I had the first officer manually tune in lax VOR since the FMS was automatic-tuning another facility and I needed a positive confirmation of when to turn. Workload increased dramatically as I was doing the leveloff, trying to identify the turn point, and coordinate confign changes all at once. At this time the departure controller kept questioning us if we started our turn yet. It was then that I noticed that we were at 3400 ft instead of our assigned 3000 ft. As I corrected back to 3000 ft, we had a hand-over to another controller who cleared us higher.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JUST BEFORE TKOF FROM LAX ARPT, FLC RECEIVED A HURRIED HEADING CHANGE TO THEIR SID AND TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING A FLT FROM LAX TO OAK. OUR DEP CLRNC WAS THE 'VENTURA TWO' DEP WITH AN INITIAL ALT OF 2000 FT MSL. THIS SID SPECIFIES A DEP HDG OF 250 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO VTU VORTAC. WHEN WE WERE CLRED ON THE RWY AND FOR TKOF, LAX TWR ADVISED US OF TFC ON FINAL (I DON'T REMEMBER HOW FAR OUT) AND THEN CHANGED OUR DEP INSTRUCTIONS TO: 'AFTER PASSING THE LAX VOR, TURN L TO HDG 210 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND, BECAUSE WE WERE EXTREMELY LIGHT, I WAS LEVELING OFF PRIOR TO PASSING THE LAX VOR. DURING THE CLB I HAD THE FO MANUALLY TUNE IN LAX VOR SINCE THE FMS WAS AUTO-TUNING ANOTHER FACILITY AND I NEEDED A POSITIVE CONFIRMATION OF WHEN TO TURN. WORKLOAD INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AS I WAS DOING THE LEVELOFF, TRYING TO IDENT THE TURN POINT, AND COORDINATE CONFIGN CHANGES ALL AT ONCE. AT THIS TIME THE DEP CTLR KEPT QUESTIONING US IF WE STARTED OUR TURN YET. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED THAT WE WERE AT 3400 FT INSTEAD OF OUR ASSIGNED 3000 FT. AS I CORRECTED BACK TO 3000 FT, WE HAD A HAND-OVER TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO CLRED US HIGHER.

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.