Narrative:

I am a low time captain (less than 100 hours) and was flying with a relatively new first officer (around 150 hours sic in type). We were operating a part 121 revenue flight. It was the first officer's and my third leg together. We had flown from iad a few hours earlier. Due to the last min boarding of the passenger, we were going to be rushed to get out on time. By the time we left the gate it was XA25, we were 3 mins late. While taxiing out for runway, I noticed the first officer seemed to be overloaded with work due to the rushing to get out on time. I told him to relax and take his time. He told me he was fine and ready to go. He was the PF for this leg. Our initial clearance was runway heading to 3000 ft as per the departure. There is no autoplt in the BA3200, but we do have altitude alerters and it was set to 3000 ft. When we were climbing through 1500 ft MSL, I started to reduce the power and synchronize the propellers for the first officer who was flying the airplane. While I was adjusting the power, dulles tower handed us off to dulles approach control. I acknowledged and immediately flipped up the approach frequency. When I transmitted, I stated 'approach, out of 4.3 for.' I looked at the altitude selector and realized it still showed 3000 ft. I asked the first officer to confirm we were only supposed to be at 3000 ft. About that time, approach instructed us to climb to 5000 ft and turn to a heading. I read back that clearance and approach then responded 'yeah, you were supposed to maintain 3000 ft as per the SID.' I acknowledged with 'roger' and nothing else was said about it. There were several factors I believe which led to this event. First, I think the first officer was feeling overwhelmed from the rushing that occurred to get the flight out on time. He wasn't able to focus 100% on the task at hand which was to fly the airplane. Another factor was the fact that tower didn't hand us off at 1000-1200 ft like they typically do. So when we got the late handoff to approach, I was thinking that we had already been assigned a higher altitude. A third factor was the fact that I was changing the power of the aircraft at low altitudes and not keeping an eye on the first officer and the altitude like I should have been doing. A related factor was the fact that this was only our third leg together and I didn't really know his flying skills so I should have monitored the situation more closely. A final factor was that the altitude alerter in this particular airplane was extremely quiet. Normally a loud tone goes off when we have 1000 ft to go and neither I nor the first officer heard it. I normally listen for it as a reminder, but learned from this event that I can't rely on that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT CLBS THROUGH CLRED ALT AND SID FROM MAJOR ARPT.

Narrative: I AM A LOW TIME CAPT (LESS THAN 100 HRS) AND WAS FLYING WITH A RELATIVELY NEW FO (AROUND 150 HRS SIC IN TYPE). WE WERE OPERATING A PART 121 REVENUE FLT. IT WAS THE FO'S AND MY THIRD LEG TOGETHER. WE HAD FLOWN FROM IAD A FEW HRS EARLIER. DUE TO THE LAST MIN BOARDING OF THE PAX, WE WERE GOING TO BE RUSHED TO GET OUT ON TIME. BY THE TIME WE LEFT THE GATE IT WAS XA25, WE WERE 3 MINS LATE. WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR RWY, I NOTICED THE FO SEEMED TO BE OVERLOADED WITH WORK DUE TO THE RUSHING TO GET OUT ON TIME. I TOLD HIM TO RELAX AND TAKE HIS TIME. HE TOLD ME HE WAS FINE AND READY TO GO. HE WAS THE PF FOR THIS LEG. OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS RWY HDG TO 3000 FT AS PER THE DEP. THERE IS NO AUTOPLT IN THE BA3200, BUT WE DO HAVE ALT ALERTERS AND IT WAS SET TO 3000 FT. WHEN WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 1500 FT MSL, I STARTED TO REDUCE THE PWR AND SYNCHRONIZE THE PROPS FOR THE FO WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. WHILE I WAS ADJUSTING THE PWR, DULLES TWR HANDED US OFF TO DULLES APCH CTL. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND IMMEDIATELY FLIPPED UP THE APCH FREQ. WHEN I XMITTED, I STATED 'APCH, OUT OF 4.3 FOR.' I LOOKED AT THE ALT SELECTOR AND REALIZED IT STILL SHOWED 3000 FT. I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM WE WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE AT 3000 FT. ABOUT THAT TIME, APCH INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO 5000 FT AND TURN TO A HDG. I READ BACK THAT CLRNC AND APCH THEN RESPONDED 'YEAH, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT AS PER THE SID.' I ACKNOWLEDGED WITH 'ROGER' AND NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID ABOUT IT. THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS I BELIEVE WHICH LED TO THIS EVENT. FIRST, I THINK THE FO WAS FEELING OVERWHELMED FROM THE RUSHING THAT OCCURRED TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME. HE WASN'T ABLE TO FOCUS 100% ON THE TASK AT HAND WHICH WAS TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT TWR DIDN'T HAND US OFF AT 1000-1200 FT LIKE THEY TYPICALLY DO. SO WHEN WE GOT THE LATE HDOF TO APCH, I WAS THINKING THAT WE HAD ALREADY BEEN ASSIGNED A HIGHER ALT. A THIRD FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT I WAS CHANGING THE PWR OF THE ACFT AT LOW ALTS AND NOT KEEPING AN EYE ON THE FO AND THE ALT LIKE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING. A RELATED FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT THIS WAS ONLY OUR THIRD LEG TOGETHER AND I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HIS FLYING SKILLS SO I SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE SIT MORE CLOSELY. A FINAL FACTOR WAS THAT THE ALT ALERTER IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE WAS EXTREMELY QUIET. NORMALLY A LOUD TONE GOES OFF WHEN WE HAVE 1000 FT TO GO AND NEITHER I NOR THE FO HEARD IT. I NORMALLY LISTEN FOR IT AS A REMINDER, BUT LEARNED FROM THIS EVENT THAT I CAN'T RELY ON THAT.

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.