Narrative:

IFR flight from birmingham to atlanta, GA. Radar vectors to lgc VOR climbing to FL190 on heading 120 degrees. Autoplt coupled and FL190 set in altitude alert system for block V automatic leveloff. At approximately leveloff altitude, received center instructions 'turn left to heading 090 degrees to intercept lgc arrival to atlanta, cross 40 mi southwest of atlanta at 12000 ft, 250 KTS, altimeter 29.99.' PF dialed 12000 ft into altitude alert system and assumed that autoplt would level off, descend to and capture 12000 ft. Aircraft continued to climb until crew caught error at FL196. Autoplt was immediately disengaged and altitude corrected back to FL190. The timing of the ATC call was unfortunate in that the crew was assigned several tasks right at leveloff and became preoccupied reading back the clearance, ATIS information and setting courses, heading bugs, altitude limits, etc. The first officer incorrectly assumed that resetting the altitude alert redirected the autoplt to the new assigned altitude while it merely disabled the altitude alert and capture for the old altitude (FL190). The captain (PNF) allowed himself to get preoccupied resetting instruments and responding to the clearance. As workload increases, attention and vigilance must also increase.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW OVERSHOT CLRED ALT IN CLB IN ZTL AIRSPACE.

Narrative: IFR FLT FROM BIRMINGHAM TO ATLANTA, GA. RADAR VECTORS TO LGC VOR CLBING TO FL190 ON HDG 120 DEGS. AUTOPLT COUPLED AND FL190 SET IN ALT ALERT SYS FOR BLOCK V AUTO LEVELOFF. AT APPROX LEVELOFF ALT, RECEIVED CTR INSTRUCTIONS 'TURN L TO HDG 090 DEGS TO INTERCEPT LGC ARR TO ATLANTA, CROSS 40 MI SW OF ATLANTA AT 12000 FT, 250 KTS, ALTIMETER 29.99.' PF DIALED 12000 FT INTO ALT ALERT SYS AND ASSUMED THAT AUTOPLT WOULD LEVEL OFF, DSND TO AND CAPTURE 12000 FT. ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB UNTIL CREW CAUGHT ERROR AT FL196. AUTOPLT WAS IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED AND ALT CORRECTED BACK TO FL190. THE TIMING OF THE ATC CALL WAS UNFORTUNATE IN THAT THE CREW WAS ASSIGNED SEVERAL TASKS RIGHT AT LEVELOFF AND BECAME PREOCCUPIED READING BACK THE CLRNC, ATIS INFO AND SETTING COURSES, HDG BUGS, ALT LIMITS, ETC. THE FO INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT RESETTING THE ALT ALERT REDIRECTED THE AUTOPLT TO THE NEW ASSIGNED ALT WHILE IT MERELY DISABLED THE ALT ALERT AND CAPTURE FOR THE OLD ALT (FL190). THE CAPT (PNF) ALLOWED HIMSELF TO GET PREOCCUPIED RESETTING INSTS AND RESPONDING TO THE CLRNC. AS WORKLOAD INCREASES, ATTN AND VIGILANCE MUST ALSO INCREASE.

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.