Narrative:

I was contracting as first officer, in citation I, on a short trip from spx to uva. Less than 1 hour. This was second trip with operator. I was between jobs after 4 yrs as captain on same type aircraft. The captain was a friend who had less than 1 yr experience on aircraft. We were taking the boss and aircraft to interior shop for a consulting session. The captain was very preoccupied with details of new interior. On this trip we had 2 altdevs. 1 with hou departure and 1 with ZHU. The night before the trip I had been sick with vomiting and diarrhea. It passed very quickly, but I got very little rest. I was tired and weak from loss of fluids. I had considered canceling but had been unable to get a hold of the captain. I figured I will just be sitting in right seat talking on the radio. In addition to my physical condition and new flight crew situation, the altitude alert was not functioning properly. It did not chime on the 1000 ft before or 300 ft past selected altitude. The first deviation occurred on climb out with hou departure with an assigned altitude of 11000 ft. We were also given a heading of 310 degrees to join the 093 degree radial of idu. I read that back but captain misunderstood and was joining a different radial. The captain did not seem concerned about the conflict of radials, so I took it upon myself to confirm this. While trying to confirm with departure, I noticed altitude climbing through 11500 ft. I brought this to captain's attention and he very slowly adjusted his altitude. In the meantime, we were handed off to another controller where I confirmed the 093 degree radial. The second deviation occurred with ZHU after receiving direct uva and climb to FL280. The aircraft was on autoplt, we both acknowledged '1000 ft to go' at FL270. My attention faded as we continued the climb because of fatigue. The next time I noticed anything we were passing FL288 just as center advised us to 'check our altitude.' in summary, I believe there were 3 contributing factors: 1) my fatigue and sickness from night before. 2) malfunctioning altitude alert. 3) captain's preoccupation with details of interior installation. Although the captain must bear some responsibility for the altdevs, a more alert first officer would have caught the deviations before they varied that far. In addition, a properly functioning altitude alert would have given us a 300 ft chime. Next time, I will stay home and rest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CESSNA CITATION C500 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING CLB ON 2 OCCASIONS -- ONE WITH DEP CTL AND THE SECOND WITH THE CTR. IN ADDITION, FAILED TO INTERCEPT THE ASSIGNED VOR RADIAL UNTIL THE FO REMINDED HIM OF THE ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS CONTRACTING AS FO, IN CITATION I, ON A SHORT TRIP FROM SPX TO UVA. LESS THAN 1 HR. THIS WAS SECOND TRIP WITH OPERATOR. I WAS BTWN JOBS AFTER 4 YRS AS CAPT ON SAME TYPE ACFT. THE CAPT WAS A FRIEND WHO HAD LESS THAN 1 YR EXPERIENCE ON ACFT. WE WERE TAKING THE BOSS AND ACFT TO INTERIOR SHOP FOR A CONSULTING SESSION. THE CAPT WAS VERY PREOCCUPIED WITH DETAILS OF NEW INTERIOR. ON THIS TRIP WE HAD 2 ALTDEVS. 1 WITH HOU DEP AND 1 WITH ZHU. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TRIP I HAD BEEN SICK WITH VOMITING AND DIARRHEA. IT PASSED VERY QUICKLY, BUT I GOT VERY LITTLE REST. I WAS TIRED AND WEAK FROM LOSS OF FLUIDS. I HAD CONSIDERED CANCELING BUT HAD BEEN UNABLE TO GET A HOLD OF THE CAPT. I FIGURED I WILL JUST BE SITTING IN R SEAT TALKING ON THE RADIO. IN ADDITION TO MY PHYSICAL CONDITION AND NEW FLC SIT, THE ALT ALERT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IT DID NOT CHIME ON THE 1000 FT BEFORE OR 300 FT PAST SELECTED ALT. THE FIRST DEV OCCURRED ON CLBOUT WITH HOU DEP WITH AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000 FT. WE WERE ALSO GIVEN A HDG OF 310 DEGS TO JOIN THE 093 DEG RADIAL OF IDU. I READ THAT BACK BUT CAPT MISUNDERSTOOD AND WAS JOINING A DIFFERENT RADIAL. THE CAPT DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONFLICT OF RADIALS, SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO CONFIRM THIS. WHILE TRYING TO CONFIRM WITH DEP, I NOTICED ALT CLBING THROUGH 11500 FT. I BROUGHT THIS TO CAPT'S ATTN AND HE VERY SLOWLY ADJUSTED HIS ALT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR WHERE I CONFIRMED THE 093 DEG RADIAL. THE SECOND DEV OCCURRED WITH ZHU AFTER RECEIVING DIRECT UVA AND CLB TO FL280. THE ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT, WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED '1000 FT TO GO' AT FL270. MY ATTN FADED AS WE CONTINUED THE CLB BECAUSE OF FATIGUE. THE NEXT TIME I NOTICED ANYTHING WE WERE PASSING FL288 JUST AS CTR ADVISED US TO 'CHK OUR ALT.' IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THERE WERE 3 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MY FATIGUE AND SICKNESS FROM NIGHT BEFORE. 2) MALFUNCTIONING ALT ALERT. 3) CAPT'S PREOCCUPATION WITH DETAILS OF INTERIOR INSTALLATION. ALTHOUGH THE CAPT MUST BEAR SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ALTDEVS, A MORE ALERT FO WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE DEVS BEFORE THEY VARIED THAT FAR. IN ADDITION, A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING ALT ALERT WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A 300 FT CHIME. NEXT TIME, I WILL STAY HOME AND REST.

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.