Narrative:

I was flying a trip from hpn, ny, to phl, PA. It was my very first trip after completion of soe (IOE). The WX all day had been very turbulence, gusty, rain/snow, windshear and IMC. The captain, being from a foreign country, was not always easy to understand and several times throughout the day, I had to ask him to repeat himself or I had to clarify what I said because he did not understand. After I received our clearance and read it to him, I set 2000 ft in the altitude select window. Our clearance was the westchester 9 departure (SID) off runway 16 -- adjusted to 2000 ft. We were cleared for takeoff. I confirmed that he wanted me to fly this leg of the trip. We started a turn to 320 degrees (right turn). As we turned, we entered visual conditions (approximately 3 mi visibility, light snow). At that point, I saw landing lights ahead and to our right approximately 3 mi. At the same time we had a TCASII alert. I quickly reduced climb and turn and after that, I pointed to the traffic and said 'there he is, 1 O'clock position.' at that point we had another TCASII alert. Immediately the captain took the controls, turned left approximately 30 degree bank, and started to push forward on the yoke. At that point we received a 'stop climb' message. That was surprising because I had just noticed how far forward the yoke looked. I could tell that the traffic would pass clear of us (off the right). Then the captain said 'we're in an updraft.' this was said at the same time I saw the traffic pass by. I then looked at the vsi and noticed the needle bounce from zero to approximately 500 FPM. I then grabbed the power levers and reduced engine torque. The vsi needle was still erratic, but we were descending at this point. We then leveled off and then the captain asked ATC what an aircraft was doing in the departure area and I believe also why we were assigned to turn to 320 degrees. ATC said they didn't know, but a supervisor would look into it and gave us a telephone number to call. The captain said 'no,' and then said to me 'we were assigned XXX. I don't know what happened, why he was there -- see white plains you have to be very careful there, lots of traffic.' in conclusion, I think several things caused this to happen. First, ATC issued a SID, but made modifications to it. If they wanted us to fly to 2000 ft and then turn on runway heading, then that should have been the clearance. They shouldn't issue part of a SID. Second, I believe, even though I read the captain the clearance, I think he's flown in and out of there so many times that when he heard 'XXX,' he didn't pay attention to the changes. I assume he changed the altitude select window to 3000 ft, as the SID calls for, believing that I put in the wrong altitude, since I am brand new. I never realized it had been changed since it didn't seem odd to me, and once it is set, there is no reason to rest it or rechk it. I was heads down in the manual. The captain had to be very careful taxiing because of snow on the ramp and being dark out. We were late because of WX, so of course we wanted to get on our way. I don't know what altitude we reached. I would guess about 2500 ft, due partly to the wrong altitude expected and updrafts. But even if we leveled off at 2000 ft, and then turned as the SID instructs, it may have ended up being a closer conflict because we would have flown right under our traffic, which would have been dangerous with the gusty winds, turbulence, up-and downdrafts and windshear. I believe ATC should have waited to give us takeoff clearance, and also it did not help that I was brand new. First day on the job and never flown into white plains before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DH8 FLC OVERSHOOTS THEIR ASSIGNED ALT DURING A TURN AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH TFC JUST S OF HPN, NY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A TRIP FROM HPN, NY, TO PHL, PA. IT WAS MY VERY FIRST TRIP AFTER COMPLETION OF SOE (IOE). THE WX ALL DAY HAD BEEN VERY TURB, GUSTY, RAIN/SNOW, WINDSHEAR AND IMC. THE CAPT, BEING FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY, WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, I HAD TO ASK HIM TO REPEAT HIMSELF OR I HAD TO CLARIFY WHAT I SAID BECAUSE HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND. AFTER I RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AND READ IT TO HIM, I SET 2000 FT IN THE ALT SELECT WINDOW. OUR CLRNC WAS THE WESTCHESTER 9 DEP (SID) OFF RWY 16 -- ADJUSTED TO 2000 FT. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I CONFIRMED THAT HE WANTED ME TO FLY THIS LEG OF THE TRIP. WE STARTED A TURN TO 320 DEGS (R TURN). AS WE TURNED, WE ENTERED VISUAL CONDITIONS (APPROX 3 MI VISIBILITY, LIGHT SNOW). AT THAT POINT, I SAW LNDG LIGHTS AHEAD AND TO OUR R APPROX 3 MI. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAD A TCASII ALERT. I QUICKLY REDUCED CLB AND TURN AND AFTER THAT, I POINTED TO THE TFC AND SAID 'THERE HE IS, 1 O'CLOCK POS.' AT THAT POINT WE HAD ANOTHER TCASII ALERT. IMMEDIATELY THE CAPT TOOK THE CTLS, TURNED L APPROX 30 DEG BANK, AND STARTED TO PUSH FORWARD ON THE YOKE. AT THAT POINT WE RECEIVED A 'STOP CLB' MESSAGE. THAT WAS SURPRISING BECAUSE I HAD JUST NOTICED HOW FAR FORWARD THE YOKE LOOKED. I COULD TELL THAT THE TFC WOULD PASS CLR OF US (OFF THE R). THEN THE CAPT SAID 'WE'RE IN AN UPDRAFT.' THIS WAS SAID AT THE SAME TIME I SAW THE TFC PASS BY. I THEN LOOKED AT THE VSI AND NOTICED THE NEEDLE BOUNCE FROM ZERO TO APPROX 500 FPM. I THEN GRABBED THE PWR LEVERS AND REDUCED ENG TORQUE. THE VSI NEEDLE WAS STILL ERRATIC, BUT WE WERE DSNDING AT THIS POINT. WE THEN LEVELED OFF AND THEN THE CAPT ASKED ATC WHAT AN ACFT WAS DOING IN THE DEP AREA AND I BELIEVE ALSO WHY WE WERE ASSIGNED TO TURN TO 320 DEGS. ATC SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW, BUT A SUPVR WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND GAVE US A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL. THE CAPT SAID 'NO,' AND THEN SAID TO ME 'WE WERE ASSIGNED XXX. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHY HE WAS THERE -- SEE WHITE PLAINS YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL THERE, LOTS OF TFC.' IN CONCLUSION, I THINK SEVERAL THINGS CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. FIRST, ATC ISSUED A SID, BUT MADE MODIFICATIONS TO IT. IF THEY WANTED US TO FLY TO 2000 FT AND THEN TURN ON RWY HDG, THEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CLRNC. THEY SHOULDN'T ISSUE PART OF A SID. SECOND, I BELIEVE, EVEN THOUGH I READ THE CAPT THE CLRNC, I THINK HE'S FLOWN IN AND OUT OF THERE SO MANY TIMES THAT WHEN HE HEARD 'XXX,' HE DIDN'T PAY ATTN TO THE CHANGES. I ASSUME HE CHANGED THE ALT SELECT WINDOW TO 3000 FT, AS THE SID CALLS FOR, BELIEVING THAT I PUT IN THE WRONG ALT, SINCE I AM BRAND NEW. I NEVER REALIZED IT HAD BEEN CHANGED SINCE IT DIDN'T SEEM ODD TO ME, AND ONCE IT IS SET, THERE IS NO REASON TO REST IT OR RECHK IT. I WAS HEADS DOWN IN THE MANUAL. THE CAPT HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL TAXIING BECAUSE OF SNOW ON THE RAMP AND BEING DARK OUT. WE WERE LATE BECAUSE OF WX, SO OF COURSE WE WANTED TO GET ON OUR WAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALT WE REACHED. I WOULD GUESS ABOUT 2500 FT, DUE PARTLY TO THE WRONG ALT EXPECTED AND UPDRAFTS. BUT EVEN IF WE LEVELED OFF AT 2000 FT, AND THEN TURNED AS THE SID INSTRUCTS, IT MAY HAVE ENDED UP BEING A CLOSER CONFLICT BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN RIGHT UNDER OUR TFC, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS WITH THE GUSTY WINDS, TURB, UP-AND DOWNDRAFTS AND WINDSHEAR. I BELIEVE ATC SHOULD HAVE WAITED TO GIVE US TKOF CLRNC, AND ALSO IT DID NOT HELP THAT I WAS BRAND NEW. FIRST DAY ON THE JOB AND NEVER FLOWN INTO WHITE PLAINS BEFORE.

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.