B737-800 overshoots assigned altitude departing ric.

Attributes
ACN	440510
Time
Date	199906
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ric.tracon tower : ito.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	440510
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	440516
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : altitude alert other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Takeoff leg out of ric. Assigned heading of 240 degrees and climb to 3000 ft. On takeoff leg, shortly after takeoff, received clearance to climb to 4000 ft and go direct to yeast intersection. Very busy time. First officer put the clearance in the FMS and was also busy with after takeoff checklist. ATC also gave a traffic call at about the same time. While climbing, turning and looking for traffic, I missed my leveloff point. First officer noticed just as we were approaching 4000 ft and called it to my attention. I immediately leveled off but overshot my altitude by approximately 400 ft. No conflicts were noted. Supplemental information from acn 440516: our airplane does not have an aural warning for the altitude alerting function, but only a rather subtle highlighting of the boxes around the altitude set and current altitude on the altitude tape display. This makes it really hard to be in the loop for altitude leveloffs if the PNF is heads down for any reason. We should have an aural altitude warning system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT DEPARTING RIC.

Narrative: TKOF LEG OUT OF RIC. ASSIGNED HDG OF 240 DEGS AND CLB TO 3000 FT. ON TKOF LEG, SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO 4000 FT AND GO DIRECT TO YEAST INTXN. VERY BUSY TIME. FO PUT THE CLRNC IN THE FMS AND WAS ALSO BUSY WITH AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. ATC ALSO GAVE A TFC CALL AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. WHILE CLBING, TURNING AND LOOKING FOR TFC, I MISSED MY LEVELOFF POINT. FO NOTICED JUST AS WE WERE APCHING 4000 FT AND CALLED IT TO MY ATTN. I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF BUT OVERSHOT MY ALT BY APPROX 400 FT. NO CONFLICTS WERE NOTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 440516: OUR AIRPLANE DOES NOT HAVE AN AURAL WARNING FOR THE ALT ALERTING FUNCTION, BUT ONLY A RATHER SUBTLE HIGHLIGHTING OF THE BOXES AROUND THE ALT SET AND CURRENT ALT ON THE ALT TAPE DISPLAY. THIS MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO BE IN THE LOOP FOR ALT LEVELOFFS IF THE PNF IS HEADS DOWN FOR ANY REASON. WE SHOULD HAVE AN AURAL ALT WARNING SYS.

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.