A B757-200 crew climbs 400 ft above their assigned altitude in a departure procedure from bwi, md.

Attributes
ACN	438107
Time
Date	199905
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	438107
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	437910
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar -- mode c other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During departure we were assigned 300 degree heading and climbed to 16000 ft. There were thunderstorms on the path and we needed at least 330 degrees heading, so we requested that. Departure came back and gave us 320 degrees heading and maintain 15000 ft. This heading was going to take us right into the WX thus, the captain who was hand-flying the airplane called the flight attendants and advised the passenger that it was going to get rough. Meanwhile, it was very busy in the cockpit and we were over 400 ft of our assigned altitude. I immediately called the captain's attention so the problem was corrected. When the air traffic controller called us, we were already at level flight. To avoid this from happening again, you should not hand-fly and make announcements at the same time on the PA. The airplane should be handed to the PNF or to the autoplt and take advantage of the automatization of new airplanes. Supplemental information from acn 437910: somewhat overloaded. Very tired at end of 5 days of flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW CLBS 400 FT ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT IN A DEP PROC FROM BWI, MD.

Narrative: DURING DEP WE WERE ASSIGNED 300 DEG HDG AND CLBED TO 16000 FT. THERE WERE TSTMS ON THE PATH AND WE NEEDED AT LEAST 330 DEGS HDG, SO WE REQUESTED THAT. DEP CAME BACK AND GAVE US 320 DEGS HDG AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT. THIS HEADING WAS GOING TO TAKE US RIGHT INTO THE WX THUS, THE CAPT WHO WAS HAND-FLYING THE AIRPLANE CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND ADVISED THE PAX THAT IT WAS GOING TO GET ROUGH. MEANWHILE, IT WAS VERY BUSY IN THE COCKPIT AND WE WERE OVER 400 FT OF OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CAPT'S ATTN SO THE PROB WAS CORRECTED. WHEN THE AIR TFC CTLR CALLED US, WE WERE ALREADY AT LEVEL FLT. TO AVOID THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, YOU SHOULD NOT HAND-FLY AND MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE SAME TIME ON THE PA. THE AIRPLANE SHOULD BE HANDED TO THE PNF OR TO THE AUTOPLT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE AUTOMATIZATION OF NEW AIRPLANES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 437910: SOMEWHAT OVERLOADED. VERY TIRED AT END OF 5 DAYS OF FLYING.

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.