Narrative:

On departure from iah we were cleared to 4000 ft with a right turn to 020 degrees as soon as possible. The sic, who was flying the return trip back to decatur, was flying the aircraft from the right seat. Once airborne, the sic began his right turn as soon as the wheels were in their wells. As we cleared 400 ft AGL, the sic called for flaps up and then for clean wing. Iah ATC tower then had us switch to departure control. I checked in with departure telling them that we were in a right turn to 020 degrees and that we were climbing to 4000 ft. Shortly after, the sic called for the after takeoff checklist. I had just started the after takeoff checklist when departure called and cleared us to 5000 ft. I acknowledged, set the altitude alerter to 5000 ft and continued with the after takeoff checklist. At this time we were just climbing through 3700 ft. I continued with the checklist and upon reaching the pressurization check, I noticed that the rate controller needed to be adjusted. As I reached for the pressurization controller to make the readjustment, I noticed that we were just passing through 5200 ft. I immediately took the controls and did a pushover to return to our assigned altitude of 5000 ft. However, since we were still climbing at 4000 FPM, I was not able to arrest the climb until 5400 ft. I did not ascertain from the sic why he missed his assigned altitude. It is my opinion that his concentration was on his heading since we had not yet reached our assigned heading of 020 degrees. We had departed runway 14L and with a right turn to 020 degrees a turn of 240 degrees was required in heading, this had not been completed at the time we climbed through 5000 ft. I cannot recall if I made the 1000 ft to go callout at 4000 ft. If I did not, then this would have to be a factor in not recognizing the assigned altitude when reached. Since events were happening fairly rapidly, I could have spent more time in watching the sic's progress and not devoting all my time to completing the after takeoff checklist. I have always felt that the after takeoff checklist should be delayed until out of the terminal area. There is nothing on the checklist that requires an immediate response and/or attention. Items such as: raising the gear, flaps, slats, and climb power are called out without the use of the checklist. Other items, such as: taxi light, ignitors, pressurization, hydraulics could wait until the workload would allow these items to be completed without infringing on the safety of flight. Another point of interest: while one pilot is flying and the other is completing the checklist, a situation exists where not enough attention is being paid to watching for other aircraft since both pilots have their head in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A DASSAULT FALCON DA10 OVERSHOT DEP ALT RESTR RESULTING IN THE CAPT TAKING CTL AND RETURNING TO ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM IAH WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT WITH A R TURN TO 020 DEGS ASAP. THE SIC, WHO WAS FLYING THE RETURN TRIP BACK TO DECATUR, WAS FLYING THE ACFT FROM THE R SEAT. ONCE AIRBORNE, THE SIC BEGAN HIS R TURN AS SOON AS THE WHEELS WERE IN THEIR WELLS. AS WE CLRED 400 FT AGL, THE SIC CALLED FOR FLAPS UP AND THEN FOR CLEAN WING. IAH ATC TWR THEN HAD US SWITCH TO DEP CTL. I CHKED IN WITH DEP TELLING THEM THAT WE WERE IN A R TURN TO 020 DEGS AND THAT WE WERE CLBING TO 4000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER, THE SIC CALLED FOR THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. I HAD JUST STARTED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST WHEN DEP CALLED AND CLRED US TO 5000 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED, SET THE ALT ALERTER TO 5000 FT AND CONTINUED WITH THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. AT THIS TIME WE WERE JUST CLBING THROUGH 3700 FT. I CONTINUED WITH THE CHKLIST AND UPON REACHING THE PRESSURIZATION CHK, I NOTICED THAT THE RATE CONTROLLER NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. AS I REACHED FOR THE PRESSURIZATION CONTROLLER TO MAKE THE READJUSTMENT, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE JUST PASSING THROUGH 5200 FT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CTLS AND DID A PUSHOVER TO RETURN TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT. HOWEVER, SINCE WE WERE STILL CLBING AT 4000 FPM, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ARREST THE CLB UNTIL 5400 FT. I DID NOT ASCERTAIN FROM THE SIC WHY HE MISSED HIS ASSIGNED ALT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HIS CONCENTRATION WAS ON HIS HDG SINCE WE HAD NOT YET REACHED OUR ASSIGNED HDG OF 020 DEGS. WE HAD DEPARTED RWY 14L AND WITH A R TURN TO 020 DEGS A TURN OF 240 DEGS WAS REQUIRED IN HDG, THIS HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED AT THE TIME WE CLBED THROUGH 5000 FT. I CANNOT RECALL IF I MADE THE 1000 FT TO GO CALLOUT AT 4000 FT. IF I DID NOT, THEN THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE A FACTOR IN NOT RECOGNIZING THE ASSIGNED ALT WHEN REACHED. SINCE EVENTS WERE HAPPENING FAIRLY RAPIDLY, I COULD HAVE SPENT MORE TIME IN WATCHING THE SIC'S PROGRESS AND NOT DEVOTING ALL MY TIME TO COMPLETING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL OUT OF THE TERMINAL AREA. THERE IS NOTHING ON THE CHKLIST THAT REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND/OR ATTN. ITEMS SUCH AS: RAISING THE GEAR, FLAPS, SLATS, AND CLB PWR ARE CALLED OUT WITHOUT THE USE OF THE CHKLIST. OTHER ITEMS, SUCH AS: TAXI LIGHT, IGNITORS, PRESSURIZATION, HYDS COULD WAIT UNTIL THE WORKLOAD WOULD ALLOW THESE ITEMS TO BE COMPLETED WITHOUT INFRINGING ON THE SAFETY OF FLT. ANOTHER POINT OF INTEREST: WHILE ONE PLT IS FLYING AND THE OTHER IS COMPLETING THE CHKLIST, A SIT EXISTS WHERE NOT ENOUGH ATTN IS BEING PAID TO WATCHING FOR OTHER ACFT SINCE BOTH PLTS HAVE THEIR HEAD IN THE COCKPIT.

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.