Narrative:

On sep/xa/99, during climb out from pit, we got a master warning indication (red light). The warning was 'pitch trim 1 inoperative.' basically, we had lost our primary pitch trim. We were assigned to climb and maintain 5000 ft. The captain (PNF) consulted our QRH to see if there were any corrective actions to be performed. Being relatively new in the aircraft, I was trying to understand exactly what the problem was. It turned out that I had no primary pitch trim (yoke switch), but I did have backup trim (pedestal). In addition, I could not use the autoplt because we kept getting a master caution concerning the autoplt and pitch trim when we tried. As I kept thinking about our problem, I failed to monitor our altitude during the climb. We passed through 5000 ft and I heard the altitude alerter as we passed through 5300 ft. I pushed the nose over (gently at first, because of the passenger). At one point, we received a TCASII TA and I believe the traffic was 1500 ft above us. We returned to 5000 ft. By that time the departure controller called us and said we were assigned 5000 ft. Prior to leaving the frequency, we explained what happened to the controller and he said it was not a problem, there was no violation. Basically, I failed to monitor the aircraft while dealing with a problem. A human factors error that unfortunately continues to occur. However, one that I will be more aware of in the future. Supplemental information from acn 448515: this was 4TH flight on aircraft as captain after IOE. I began to run checklist for failure. I heard altitude alert and looked up. We were at 5400 ft (cleared to 5000 ft). About same time controller asked what was wrong and cleared us to maintain 6000 ft. I told him we were at 5200 ft leveling back at 5000 ft. Both the first officer and myself were new to the aircraft. As captain, I should have not focused only on the pitch trim failure and ensured we leveled at 5000 ft. My personal policy is to now stop everything else to monitor the leveloff from 500-1000 ft prior.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 FLC CLBS ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALT DURING A 'PITCH TRIM 1 INOP' EVENT 20 MI N OF PIT, PA.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/99, DURING CLBOUT FROM PIT, WE GOT A MASTER WARNING INDICATION (RED LIGHT). THE WARNING WAS 'PITCH TRIM 1 INOP.' BASICALLY, WE HAD LOST OUR PRIMARY PITCH TRIM. WE WERE ASSIGNED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. THE CAPT (PNF) CONSULTED OUR QRH TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO BE PERFORMED. BEING RELATIVELY NEW IN THE ACFT, I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE PROB WAS. IT TURNED OUT THAT I HAD NO PRIMARY PITCH TRIM (YOKE SWITCH), BUT I DID HAVE BACKUP TRIM (PEDESTAL). IN ADDITION, I COULD NOT USE THE AUTOPLT BECAUSE WE KEPT GETTING A MASTER CAUTION CONCERNING THE AUTOPLT AND PITCH TRIM WHEN WE TRIED. AS I KEPT THINKING ABOUT OUR PROB, I FAILED TO MONITOR OUR ALT DURING THE CLB. WE PASSED THROUGH 5000 FT AND I HEARD THE ALT ALERTER AS WE PASSED THROUGH 5300 FT. I PUSHED THE NOSE OVER (GENTLY AT FIRST, BECAUSE OF THE PAX). AT ONE POINT, WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA AND I BELIEVE THE TFC WAS 1500 FT ABOVE US. WE RETURNED TO 5000 FT. BY THAT TIME THE DEP CTLR CALLED US AND SAID WE WERE ASSIGNED 5000 FT. PRIOR TO LEAVING THE FREQ, WE EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CTLR AND HE SAID IT WAS NOT A PROB, THERE WAS NO VIOLATION. BASICALLY, I FAILED TO MONITOR THE ACFT WHILE DEALING WITH A PROB. A HUMAN FACTORS ERROR THAT UNFORTUNATELY CONTINUES TO OCCUR. HOWEVER, ONE THAT I WILL BE MORE AWARE OF IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448515: THIS WAS 4TH FLT ON ACFT AS CAPT AFTER IOE. I BEGAN TO RUN CHKLIST FOR FAILURE. I HEARD ALT ALERT AND LOOKED UP. WE WERE AT 5400 FT (CLRED TO 5000 FT). ABOUT SAME TIME CTLR ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG AND CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT. I TOLD HIM WE WERE AT 5200 FT LEVELING BACK AT 5000 FT. BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF WERE NEW TO THE ACFT. AS CAPT, I SHOULD HAVE NOT FOCUSED ONLY ON THE PITCH TRIM FAILURE AND ENSURED WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT. MY PERSONAL POLICY IS TO NOW STOP EVERYTHING ELSE TO MONITOR THE LEVELOFF FROM 500-1000 FT PRIOR.

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.