Narrative:

It was the second day flying with a relatively new first officer (100 hours in type). He had proven himself to be a competent aviator. Our altitude clearance was 16000 ft MSL. At 15000 ft the altitude alerter chimed and we both acknowledged 1000 ft to level. I then switched to communication #2 to talk to our company. My discussion with company was non routine and longer than normal. I became distraction from monitoring the first officer's flying until I heard the altitude alerter chime again. I looked at my altimeter and we were climbing through 16300 ft. I immediately pushed the control column forward and the first officer then leveled the aircraft off at 16000 ft. In the process, however, we climbed to 16450 ft. I feel the problem arose by me being distraction and failing to monitor the progress of the climb. This was coupled by a certain amount of complacency because the first officer, while being inexperienced in type, was a good pilot and did not give me a reason to believe he would fail to level off at our assigned altitude. I consider myself to be a very proficient pilot, and normally keep my situational awareness at all times. This was a very strong lesson on how easy it is to get distraction during what seems to be a very routine phase of flight. This is the first time this has happened to me. Fortunately, there was no traffic conflict, however, I realize in my profession there is no room for this kind of error. I have used this incident to reinforce how important it is to continuously maintain situational awareness. It also has reminded me that during routine phases of flight in VMC conditions it is easy to let your guard down, which can quickly turn routine into non routine or worse case, an emergency. Finally, I now maintain a policy of carefully monitoring altitude and refrain from non essential duties when myself or the first officer is within 1000 ft of our assigned altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC DISTR AND CLB ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT. NO ATC INTERVENTION. WITH ABOVE ALT AURAL ALARM RECOGNITION, FLC IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: IT WAS THE SECOND DAY FLYING WITH A RELATIVELY NEW FO (100 HRS IN TYPE). HE HAD PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE A COMPETENT AVIATOR. OUR ALT CLRNC WAS 16000 FT MSL. AT 15000 FT THE ALT ALERTER CHIMED AND WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED 1000 FT TO LEVEL. I THEN SWITCHED TO COM #2 TO TALK TO OUR COMPANY. MY DISCUSSION WITH COMPANY WAS NON ROUTINE AND LONGER THAN NORMAL. I BECAME DISTR FROM MONITORING THE FO'S FLYING UNTIL I HEARD THE ALT ALERTER CHIME AGAIN. I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 16300 FT. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE CTL COLUMN FORWARD AND THE FO THEN LEVELED THE ACFT OFF AT 16000 FT. IN THE PROCESS, HOWEVER, WE CLBED TO 16450 FT. I FEEL THE PROB AROSE BY ME BEING DISTR AND FAILING TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE CLB. THIS WAS COUPLED BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COMPLACENCY BECAUSE THE FO, WHILE BEING INEXPERIENCED IN TYPE, WAS A GOOD PLT AND DID NOT GIVE ME A REASON TO BELIEVE HE WOULD FAIL TO LEVEL OFF AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A VERY PROFICIENT PLT, AND NORMALLY KEEP MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES. THIS WAS A VERY STRONG LESSON ON HOW EASY IT IS TO GET DISTR DURING WHAT SEEMS TO BE A VERY ROUTINE PHASE OF FLT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT, HOWEVER, I REALIZE IN MY PROFESSION THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THIS KIND OF ERROR. I HAVE USED THIS INCIDENT TO REINFORCE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. IT ALSO HAS REMINDED ME THAT DURING ROUTINE PHASES OF FLT IN VMC CONDITIONS IT IS EASY TO LET YOUR GUARD DOWN, WHICH CAN QUICKLY TURN ROUTINE INTO NON ROUTINE OR WORSE CASE, AN EMER. FINALLY, I NOW MAINTAIN A POLICY OF CAREFULLY MONITORING ALT AND REFRAIN FROM NON ESSENTIAL DUTIES WHEN MYSELF OR THE FO IS WITHIN 1000 FT OF OUR ASSIGNED ALT.

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.