Narrative:

This flight departed teb on a part 135 flight with 1 passenger on board. The PF was the sic. The PNF was the PIC. The initial departure clearance was the teb 4 departure with a takeoff from runway 24. The initial part of the SID is to climb and maintain 1500 ft MSL followed by a turn to a 280 degree heading. In addition, noise abatement procedures are specified at teb and with our learjet aircraft we follow the recommended procedure of a power reduction crossing the airport boundary. We briefed the SID and noise abatement procedure several times prior to departure, and the sic understood the requirements. We initiated takeoff, and when passing the airport boundary, I called for the noise abatement power reduction. The sic initiated the initial power reduction and at 1000 ft indicated I called '500 ft to go.' the sic began to reduce the pitch and another power reduction for the leveloff at 1500 ft. At this time I glanced out the windshield and observed an aircraft at our 11 O'clock position, approximately 5 mi, and I called it out to the sic. Then I looked down and observed the altimeter climbing through 1700 ft, and called out 'altitude, altitude.' I pushed the control yoke forward to assist him in returning to 1500 ft. We quickly returned to the required altitude. The highest I noted the altimeter was 1900 ft. I would identify several contributing factors. First, the inexperience of the sic, both in the learjet and in the critical SID/noise abatement procedure out of teb. He had been flying as sic in the lear for just over 6 months, and only had been out of teb a few times. Secondly, as PNF I failed to adequately monitor the leveloff, however, when I glanced out the windshield and called out the traffic, it distraction me just long enough to miss the altitude deviation. Also, once I called out the altitude, the sic was attempting to make the altitude correction smoothly for the benefit of the passenger on board. Once the altitude was called out, a more aggressive pitch action could have reduced the altitude deviation, but we try to make pitch changes as smoothly as possible for the benefit of the passenger and he was simply trying to make a smooth correction. The combination of the SID altitude and requirements and the noise abatement procedures at teb require a 'positive' action immediately after takeoff, especially in a high performance aircraft such as a learjet. When reducing power on the lear, the aircraft has a tendency to pitch up due to the thrust line being above the center of gravity of the aircraft. With the immediate power reduction after takeoff for noise abatement and leveloff, the pitch must be positively controled with forward pressure and trim. The sic simply did not make the positive leveloff required. ATC did not make any advisory calls concerning the altitude deviation, and I believe there were no aircraft conflicts. In retrospect, as the more experienced PIC I should have chosen to make the departure, however, the sic had been performing well in the cockpit on previous flts and I felt he was ready to make this departure. I felt we were both adequately briefed and prepared for the SID and noise abatement procedure. However, it has little tolerance for lack of performance. I believe the sic has certainly learned how important it is to make a positive effort on a complex departure as this is and I have learned that as PNF and PIC, I must be more diligent in ensuring that the sic is performing as required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEARJET OVERSHOOTS ALT ON INITIAL DEP USING TEB 4 AND NOISE ABATEMENT.

Narrative: THIS FLT DEPARTED TEB ON A PART 135 FLT WITH 1 PAX ON BOARD. THE PF WAS THE SIC. THE PNF WAS THE PIC. THE INITIAL DEP CLRNC WAS THE TEB 4 DEP WITH A TKOF FROM RWY 24. THE INITIAL PART OF THE SID IS TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 1500 FT MSL FOLLOWED BY A TURN TO A 280 DEG HDG. IN ADDITION, NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS ARE SPECIFIED AT TEB AND WITH OUR LEARJET ACFT WE FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDED PROC OF A PWR REDUCTION XING THE ARPT BOUNDARY. WE BRIEFED THE SID AND NOISE ABATEMENT PROC SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO DEP, AND THE SIC UNDERSTOOD THE REQUIREMENTS. WE INITIATED TKOF, AND WHEN PASSING THE ARPT BOUNDARY, I CALLED FOR THE NOISE ABATEMENT PWR REDUCTION. THE SIC INITIATED THE INITIAL PWR REDUCTION AND AT 1000 FT INDICATED I CALLED '500 FT TO GO.' THE SIC BEGAN TO REDUCE THE PITCH AND ANOTHER PWR REDUCTION FOR THE LEVELOFF AT 1500 FT. AT THIS TIME I GLANCED OUT THE WINDSHIELD AND OBSERVED AN ACFT AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS, APPROX 5 MI, AND I CALLED IT OUT TO THE SIC. THEN I LOOKED DOWN AND OBSERVED THE ALTIMETER CLBING THROUGH 1700 FT, AND CALLED OUT 'ALT, ALT.' I PUSHED THE CTL YOKE FORWARD TO ASSIST HIM IN RETURNING TO 1500 FT. WE QUICKLY RETURNED TO THE REQUIRED ALT. THE HIGHEST I NOTED THE ALTIMETER WAS 1900 FT. I WOULD IDENT SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. FIRST, THE INEXPERIENCE OF THE SIC, BOTH IN THE LEARJET AND IN THE CRITICAL SID/NOISE ABATEMENT PROC OUT OF TEB. HE HAD BEEN FLYING AS SIC IN THE LEAR FOR JUST OVER 6 MONTHS, AND ONLY HAD BEEN OUT OF TEB A FEW TIMES. SECONDLY, AS PNF I FAILED TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE LEVELOFF, HOWEVER, WHEN I GLANCED OUT THE WINDSHIELD AND CALLED OUT THE TFC, IT DISTR ME JUST LONG ENOUGH TO MISS THE ALTDEV. ALSO, ONCE I CALLED OUT THE ALT, THE SIC WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THE ALT CORRECTION SMOOTHLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PAX ON BOARD. ONCE THE ALT WAS CALLED OUT, A MORE AGGRESSIVE PITCH ACTION COULD HAVE REDUCED THE ALTDEV, BUT WE TRY TO MAKE PITCH CHANGES AS SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PAX AND HE WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO MAKE A SMOOTH CORRECTION. THE COMBINATION OF THE SID ALT AND REQUIREMENTS AND THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS AT TEB REQUIRE A 'POSITIVE' ACTION IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, ESPECIALLY IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT SUCH AS A LEARJET. WHEN REDUCING PWR ON THE LEAR, THE ACFT HAS A TENDENCY TO PITCH UP DUE TO THE THRUST LINE BEING ABOVE THE CTR OF GRAVITY OF THE ACFT. WITH THE IMMEDIATE PWR REDUCTION AFTER TKOF FOR NOISE ABATEMENT AND LEVELOFF, THE PITCH MUST BE POSITIVELY CTLED WITH FORWARD PRESSURE AND TRIM. THE SIC SIMPLY DID NOT MAKE THE POSITIVE LEVELOFF REQUIRED. ATC DID NOT MAKE ANY ADVISORY CALLS CONCERNING THE ALTDEV, AND I BELIEVE THERE WERE NO ACFT CONFLICTS. IN RETROSPECT, AS THE MORE EXPERIENCED PIC I SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE THE DEP, HOWEVER, THE SIC HAD BEEN PERFORMING WELL IN THE COCKPIT ON PREVIOUS FLTS AND I FELT HE WAS READY TO MAKE THIS DEP. I FELT WE WERE BOTH ADEQUATELY BRIEFED AND PREPARED FOR THE SID AND NOISE ABATEMENT PROC. HOWEVER, IT HAS LITTLE TOLERANCE FOR LACK OF PERFORMANCE. I BELIEVE THE SIC HAS CERTAINLY LEARNED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE A POSITIVE EFFORT ON A COMPLEX DEP AS THIS IS AND I HAVE LEARNED THAT AS PNF AND PIC, I MUST BE MORE DILIGENT IN ENSURING THAT THE SIC IS PERFORMING AS REQUIRED.

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.