Narrative:

We departed over 4 hours past our scheduled departure time due to significant thunderstorms in the area which had finally moved east of our location and routing. We were cleared initially to 3000 ft MSL on a heading 230 degrees. On climb out we were told to contact departure control. We switched to their frequency and monitored the congested radio traffic while we waited to get our call out to them. At the same time we were monitoring a large cell on our radar directly in our flight path 5-10 mi ahead. Both of us were focused on the target cell and adjusting the radar's tilt to better identify it as we climbed through our clearance altitude. Neither of us caught the altitude alert aural or visual annunciation with our attention diverted to the radar and the dense radio xmissions drowning the aural warning. The captain was able to contact departure about that time and departure cleared us on up to 10000 ft MSL right about as we approached 4000 ft MSL. I then noticed the altitude alert sound off again at the 1000 ft difference from selected altitude. The captain queried me about our originally cleared altitude and I confirmed 3000 ft and the error. The remainder of the flight was uneventful and standard. Lessons learned: 1) when in FMC, at least one head should be outside the cockpit at all times -- we were lucky. 2) regardless of radio saturation, radar images or other distrs, fly the plane first! 3) do not miss standard altitude calls (1000 ft prior, 500 ft prior). 4) be more vigilant of potential plting errors when flying past normal duty hours into the early morning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A BRITISH JETSTREAM BA32 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED DEP ALT AND WAS NOT OBSERVED BY CREW UNTIL THEY HEARD THE ALT ALERT AT 1000 FT OVER ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED OVER 4 HRS PAST OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME DUE TO SIGNIFICANT TSTMS IN THE AREA WHICH HAD FINALLY MOVED E OF OUR LOCATION AND ROUTING. WE WERE CLRED INITIALLY TO 3000 FT MSL ON A HDG 230 DEGS. ON CLBOUT WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT DEP CTL. WE SWITCHED TO THEIR FREQ AND MONITORED THE CONGESTED RADIO TFC WHILE WE WAITED TO GET OUR CALL OUT TO THEM. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE MONITORING A LARGE CELL ON OUR RADAR DIRECTLY IN OUR FLT PATH 5-10 MI AHEAD. BOTH OF US WERE FOCUSED ON THE TARGET CELL AND ADJUSTING THE RADAR'S TILT TO BETTER IDENT IT AS WE CLBED THROUGH OUR CLRNC ALT. NEITHER OF US CAUGHT THE ALT ALERT AURAL OR VISUAL ANNUNCIATION WITH OUR ATTN DIVERTED TO THE RADAR AND THE DENSE RADIO XMISSIONS DROWNING THE AURAL WARNING. THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO CONTACT DEP ABOUT THAT TIME AND DEP CLRED US ON UP TO 10000 FT MSL RIGHT ABOUT AS WE APCHED 4000 FT MSL. I THEN NOTICED THE ALT ALERT SOUND OFF AGAIN AT THE 1000 FT DIFFERENCE FROM SELECTED ALT. THE CAPT QUERIED ME ABOUT OUR ORIGINALLY CLRED ALT AND I CONFIRMED 3000 FT AND THE ERROR. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND STANDARD. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) WHEN IN FMC, AT LEAST ONE HEAD SHOULD BE OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AT ALL TIMES -- WE WERE LUCKY. 2) REGARDLESS OF RADIO SATURATION, RADAR IMAGES OR OTHER DISTRS, FLY THE PLANE FIRST! 3) DO NOT MISS STANDARD ALT CALLS (1000 FT PRIOR, 500 FT PRIOR). 4) BE MORE VIGILANT OF POTENTIAL PLTING ERRORS WHEN FLYING PAST NORMAL DUTY HRS INTO THE EARLY MORNING.

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.