Flight crew of S80 erroneously overshot assigned altitude on climb out from dkk.

Attributes
ACN	424940
Time
Date	199901
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dkk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18500
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sgf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	424940
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on a vector to intercept J36 out of dkk. First officer was flying. We were being step climbed. Out of 12000 ft we had a double pack trip due to overheat (buffalo was -11 degrees C at departure). I was concerned the heading ATC assigned was not enough of a cut to intercept the airway due to heavy xwinds. At 17000 ft we were cleared to climb to FL180. We reset altimeters and checked charts as we had been rerted twice prior to departure. I was concerned about the packs and the intercept heading. When I checked my altitude, I was climbing through approximately FL180-FL200. I immediately initiated a leveloff and stopped the climb by FL185 and was back down to FL183 when ATC cleared to FL200. No traffic was observed. ATC never queried us and it is unknown if there was a conflict. Lesson learned: the flight was an early morning departure out of buffalo with a temperature of -11 degrees C. I was operating the packs in manual to heat the cabin. In the future, be diligent about returning packs to automatic. Also, in-flight, 1 pilot always flies -- the other fixes the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF S80 ERRONEOUSLY OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT ON CLBOUT FROM DKK.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT J36 OUT OF DKK. FO WAS FLYING. WE WERE BEING STEP CLBED. OUT OF 12000 FT WE HAD A DOUBLE PACK TRIP DUE TO OVERHEAT (BUFFALO WAS -11 DEGS C AT DEP). I WAS CONCERNED THE HDG ATC ASSIGNED WAS NOT ENOUGH OF A CUT TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY DUE TO HVY XWINDS. AT 17000 FT WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL180. WE RESET ALTIMETERS AND CHKED CHARTS AS WE HAD BEEN RERTED TWICE PRIOR TO DEP. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PACKS AND THE INTERCEPT HDG. WHEN I CHKED MY ALT, I WAS CLBING THROUGH APPROX FL180-FL200. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A LEVELOFF AND STOPPED THE CLB BY FL185 AND WAS BACK DOWN TO FL183 WHEN ATC CLRED TO FL200. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED. ATC NEVER QUERIED US AND IT IS UNKNOWN IF THERE WAS A CONFLICT. LESSON LEARNED: THE FLT WAS AN EARLY MORNING DEP OUT OF BUFFALO WITH A TEMP OF -11 DEGS C. I WAS OPERATING THE PACKS IN MANUAL TO HEAT THE CABIN. IN THE FUTURE, BE DILIGENT ABOUT RETURNING PACKS TO AUTO. ALSO, INFLT, 1 PLT ALWAYS FLIES -- THE OTHER FIXES THE PROB.

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.