Narrative:

First officer flying instrument departure from lga VMC. Lga had switched departure runways when taxiing out to a much more complicated departure page. Lga 8 departure with 'coney climb' from runway 13. Crew was prepared to do this rather complicated procedure at departure end. Uneventful takeoff. Initiated right turn to 175 degrees and switched to departure control 120.4 MHZ. Switched, higher altitude given, 10000 ft, then switched again to second departure control frequency 124.75. Just starting after takeoff checklist, and checking for traffic. Departure control again changed clearance to proceed to col VOR, intercept the col 204 degree radial to white, as filed. The first officer was hand flying. Just after acknowledging that clearance, departure switched us to ZNY frequency. After tuning that and checking in, both pilots were immediately made aware the aircraft had gone through the assigned altitude of 10000 ft, triggering an altitude alert and caution. The first officer immediately returned the aircraft to 10000 ft, having gone no higher than 10300 ft. No TCASII alert, aircraft conflict or center conflict verbalized or noted. I believe this is a classic example of task saturation and not keeping up with the primary task of flying the aircraft due to 'too much' happening in too short a time. Even though both pilots were aware of 10000 ft being the leveloff altitude (it was in the altitude reminder window and pointed to by both pilots), it is difficult to stay ahead of the game when overloaded with clrncs and frequency changes in busy air corridors. Recommend hooking up the autoplt to ease the workload in these sits in the future!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B757 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DEP CLB DUE TO DISTR OF WORKLOAD AND TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH ATC CLRNC AND FREQ CHANGES.

Narrative: FO FLYING INST DEP FROM LGA VMC. LGA HAD SWITCHED DEP RWYS WHEN TAXIING OUT TO A MUCH MORE COMPLICATED DEP PAGE. LGA 8 DEP WITH 'CONEY CLB' FROM RWY 13. CREW WAS PREPARED TO DO THIS RATHER COMPLICATED PROC AT DEP END. UNEVENTFUL TKOF. INITIATED R TURN TO 175 DEGS AND SWITCHED TO DEP CTL 120.4 MHZ. SWITCHED, HIGHER ALT GIVEN, 10000 FT, THEN SWITCHED AGAIN TO SECOND DEP CTL FREQ 124.75. JUST STARTING AFTER TKOF CHKLIST, AND CHKING FOR TFC. DEP CTL AGAIN CHANGED CLRNC TO PROCEED TO COL VOR, INTERCEPT THE COL 204 DEG RADIAL TO WHITE, AS FILED. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING. JUST AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CLRNC, DEP SWITCHED US TO ZNY FREQ. AFTER TUNING THAT AND CHKING IN, BOTH PLTS WERE IMMEDIATELY MADE AWARE THE ACFT HAD GONE THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 10000 FT, TRIGGERING AN ALT ALERT AND CAUTION. THE FO IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE ACFT TO 10000 FT, HAVING GONE NO HIGHER THAN 10300 FT. NO TCASII ALERT, ACFT CONFLICT OR CTR CONFLICT VERBALIZED OR NOTED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF TASK SATURATION AND NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE PRIMARY TASK OF FLYING THE ACFT DUE TO 'TOO MUCH' HAPPENING IN TOO SHORT A TIME. EVEN THOUGH BOTH PLTS WERE AWARE OF 10000 FT BEING THE LEVELOFF ALT (IT WAS IN THE ALT REMINDER WINDOW AND POINTED TO BY BOTH PLTS), IT IS DIFFICULT TO STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME WHEN OVERLOADED WITH CLRNCS AND FREQ CHANGES IN BUSY AIR CORRIDORS. RECOMMEND HOOKING UP THE AUTOPLT TO EASE THE WORKLOAD IN THESE SITS IN THE FUTURE!

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.