Narrative:

I am a captain with a commuter airline. On a very clear day, my first officer was flying the trip from iah to lch. We were given an assigned heading up to 4000 ft. I made the call '1000 ft to go' at 3000 ft. I was unaware that my first officer had decided to fly raw data and was not using the flight director on her side. Crossing 4300 ft, ATC requested altitude from us. At that time my first officer and myself realized we had gone through our assigned altitude. We reached an altitude of 4400 ft before reversing our course. ATC then told us to 'get it down' after I told him that we were 'leveling back to 4000 ft.' at the time of the occurrence I was reporting my time off to operations and had quit monitoring the climb. No traffic conflict occurred and the TCASII was clear. After leveling at 4000 ft we were given higher about 2 mins later. I believe the problem occurred because I had quit monitoring the climb out and my first officer was not using the flight director. I do remember hearing the altitude deviation 'C note' at the same time ATC first contacted us. Flight directors and autoplts are great tools, but have the ill effect of weakening our basic pilot skills. We tend to rely on them too much. I believe if I had known my first officer was flying raw data I would have been more attentive. My first officer is fairly new with the company and almost all her flying has been with the flight director.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ATR42 COMMUTER CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT ON DEP NOT USING THE FLT DIRECTOR. BOTH FLC AND ATC DISCOVER THE DEV AND FLT RETURNS TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I AM A CAPT WITH A COMMUTER AIRLINE. ON A VERY CLR DAY, MY FO WAS FLYING THE TRIP FROM IAH TO LCH. WE WERE GIVEN AN ASSIGNED HDG UP TO 4000 FT. I MADE THE CALL '1000 FT TO GO' AT 3000 FT. I WAS UNAWARE THAT MY FO HAD DECIDED TO FLY RAW DATA AND WAS NOT USING THE FLT DIRECTOR ON HER SIDE. XING 4300 FT, ATC REQUESTED ALT FROM US. AT THAT TIME MY FO AND MYSELF REALIZED WE HAD GONE THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT. WE REACHED AN ALT OF 4400 FT BEFORE REVERSING OUR COURSE. ATC THEN TOLD US TO 'GET IT DOWN' AFTER I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE 'LEVELING BACK TO 4000 FT.' AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE I WAS RPTING MY TIME OFF TO OPS AND HAD QUIT MONITORING THE CLB. NO TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED AND THE TCASII WAS CLR. AFTER LEVELING AT 4000 FT WE WERE GIVEN HIGHER ABOUT 2 MINS LATER. I BELIEVE THE PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE I HAD QUIT MONITORING THE CLBOUT AND MY FO WAS NOT USING THE FLT DIRECTOR. I DO REMEMBER HEARING THE ALTDEV 'C NOTE' AT THE SAME TIME ATC FIRST CONTACTED US. FLT DIRECTORS AND AUTOPLTS ARE GREAT TOOLS, BUT HAVE THE ILL EFFECT OF WEAKENING OUR BASIC PLT SKILLS. WE TEND TO RELY ON THEM TOO MUCH. I BELIEVE IF I HAD KNOWN MY FO WAS FLYING RAW DATA I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE. MY FO IS FAIRLY NEW WITH THE COMPANY AND ALMOST ALL HER FLYING HAS BEEN WITH THE FLT DIRECTOR.

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.