Narrative:

The first officer was flying using flight directors on departure. We were given 10000 ft altitude assignment. Leveloff was 10300 ft then returned to 10000 ft. Aircraft was light and performing well passing 7000 ft. Rate of climb was 3800+ FPM. The altitude and speed FMA's came up passing 8000 ft at 9000 ft call of '9000 ft for 10000 ft' passing 9600 ft call of 'assigned 10000 ft.' first officer bars were centered and at 9600 ft. The first officer made an aggressive attempt to level at 10000 ft. All SOP's were followed. The correct altitude was in the box. Both of us were aware of the 10000 ft clearance and our proximity to 10000 ft. This aircraft has a soft altitude hold function +/-100 ft and the automation of the airbus limits leveloff by load factor on climb leveloff is clear -1.0 G. The autothrottle had not begun to retard when we began the leveloff. Climb thrust setting made leveloff more difficult. Other factors about this aircraft's autoflt/autothrottle when light and leveling off at and below 10000 ft: 1) normal climb has the autothrottle in climb detent with maximum climb EPR setting. Rate of climb is a function of the selected speed. When light and 250 KTS, this will cause a very high rate of climb. Lowering the nose to reduce the climb rate will cause the speed to build unless a) speed capture of the autothrottles has occurred, or B) the autothrottles are manually retarded. This problem is compounded when leveling at 10000 ft because the managed speed jumps to economy climb speed. This commands a reduction in power followed by an increase in power to accelerate. 2) on this airplane, the throttle levers do not move with power changes -- they remain in the selected detent and the FMA will flash at the pilot to return them to the appropriate detent when moved. This creates a reliance on the autothrottle system. Most pilots are reluctant to position the throttle levers during climb. This combination of light gross weight and leveling at or below 10000 ft has not happened very often in my experience. This can be very challenging. Reason: PF failed to anticipate (partly due to reliance on flight director data -- we discussed the need to back up with raw data) and the PNF failing to advocate an aggressive leveloff until it was too late to and physically impossible to level at 10000 ft. For us, the lesson was learned: discussion on the technique to best level off at and below 10000 ft when light would be to reduce throttles to maintain speed and reduce rate of climb to 1000 FPM approaching assigned altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW OPERATING LIGHT WT ACFT RELIED ON AUTOFLT SYS AND OVERSHOT CLRED ALT.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING USING FLT DIRECTORS ON DEP. WE WERE GIVEN 10000 FT ALT ASSIGNMENT. LEVELOFF WAS 10300 FT THEN RETURNED TO 10000 FT. ACFT WAS LIGHT AND PERFORMING WELL PASSING 7000 FT. RATE OF CLB WAS 3800+ FPM. THE ALT AND SPD FMA'S CAME UP PASSING 8000 FT AT 9000 FT CALL OF '9000 FT FOR 10000 FT' PASSING 9600 FT CALL OF 'ASSIGNED 10000 FT.' FO BARS WERE CTRED AND AT 9600 FT. THE FO MADE AN AGGRESSIVE ATTEMPT TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT. ALL SOP'S WERE FOLLOWED. THE CORRECT ALT WAS IN THE BOX. BOTH OF US WERE AWARE OF THE 10000 FT CLRNC AND OUR PROX TO 10000 FT. THIS ACFT HAS A SOFT ALT HOLD FUNCTION +/-100 FT AND THE AUTOMATION OF THE AIRBUS LIMITS LEVELOFF BY LOAD FACTOR ON CLB LEVELOFF IS CLR -1.0 G. THE AUTOTHROTTLE HAD NOT BEGUN TO RETARD WHEN WE BEGAN THE LEVELOFF. CLB THRUST SETTING MADE LEVELOFF MORE DIFFICULT. OTHER FACTORS ABOUT THIS ACFT'S AUTOFLT/AUTOTHROTTLE WHEN LIGHT AND LEVELING OFF AT AND BELOW 10000 FT: 1) NORMAL CLB HAS THE AUTOTHROTTLE IN CLB DETENT WITH MAX CLB EPR SETTING. RATE OF CLB IS A FUNCTION OF THE SELECTED SPD. WHEN LIGHT AND 250 KTS, THIS WILL CAUSE A VERY HIGH RATE OF CLB. LOWERING THE NOSE TO REDUCE THE CLB RATE WILL CAUSE THE SPD TO BUILD UNLESS A) SPD CAPTURE OF THE AUTOTHROTTLES HAS OCCURRED, OR B) THE AUTOTHROTTLES ARE MANUALLY RETARDED. THIS PROB IS COMPOUNDED WHEN LEVELING AT 10000 FT BECAUSE THE MANAGED SPD JUMPS TO ECONOMY CLB SPD. THIS COMMANDS A REDUCTION IN PWR FOLLOWED BY AN INCREASE IN PWR TO ACCELERATE. 2) ON THIS AIRPLANE, THE THROTTLE LEVERS DO NOT MOVE WITH PWR CHANGES -- THEY REMAIN IN THE SELECTED DETENT AND THE FMA WILL FLASH AT THE PLT TO RETURN THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE DETENT WHEN MOVED. THIS CREATES A RELIANCE ON THE AUTOTHROTTLE SYS. MOST PLTS ARE RELUCTANT TO POS THE THROTTLE LEVERS DURING CLB. THIS COMBINATION OF LIGHT GROSS WT AND LEVELING AT OR BELOW 10000 FT HAS NOT HAPPENED VERY OFTEN IN MY EXPERIENCE. THIS CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING. REASON: PF FAILED TO ANTICIPATE (PARTLY DUE TO RELIANCE ON FLT DIRECTOR DATA -- WE DISCUSSED THE NEED TO BACK UP WITH RAW DATA) AND THE PNF FAILING TO ADVOCATE AN AGGRESSIVE LEVELOFF UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO AND PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT. FOR US, THE LESSON WAS LEARNED: DISCUSSION ON THE TECHNIQUE TO BEST LEVEL OFF AT AND BELOW 10000 FT WHEN LIGHT WOULD BE TO REDUCE THROTTLES TO MAINTAIN SPD AND REDUCE RATE OF CLB TO 1000 FPM APCHING ASSIGNED ALT.

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.