Narrative:

With aircraft on autoplt, VNAV engaged, 10000 ft in altitude window and aircraft leveling, first officer went off frequency to make 10000 ft announcement. At the same time, I started to make an entry into the FMC. A moment later, the controller cleared us direct larri, climb to FL230. I attempted to enter larri into FMC forgetting I had another entry in the scratch pad. When I glanced up, I saw we were rapidly climbing through 10600 ft. I had a moment of panic because the aircraft should not have been climbing past 10000 ft and I had missed it. I clicked off the autoplt and started to level off and then realized we were cleared to FL230. I don't know if we exceeded 10000 ft prior to the clearance to FL230 but if we didn't, I cannot take credit for it. At that time I should have been monitoring closely, and I failed to. A chain of events led up to this. Our originally assigned aircraft was damaged while we were sitting in it at the gate. We waited more than 1 hour for a replacement to be brought from a remote parking site. There was then pressure, some self induced, to depart as soon as possible. While preflting, we found several discrepancies ( stabilizer trim way out of normal position, radio volume turned all the way down, oxygen mask on floor) and it is possible that I missed the stabilizer trim circuit breaker popped. In any event, after the plane failed to level at 10000 ft, we found that circuit breaker out. After resetting it, we had no further problems with autoflt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 WITH STABILIZER TRIM CIRCUIT BREAKER OUT OVERSHOOTS CLRED ALT WHEN ACFT FAILS TO LEVEL WITH AUTOFLT ENGAGED AND CREW DID NOT NOTICE.

Narrative: WITH ACFT ON AUTOPLT, VNAV ENGAGED, 10000 FT IN ALT WINDOW AND ACFT LEVELING, FO WENT OFF FREQ TO MAKE 10000 FT ANNOUNCEMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, I STARTED TO MAKE AN ENTRY INTO THE FMC. A MOMENT LATER, THE CTLR CLRED US DIRECT LARRI, CLB TO FL230. I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER LARRI INTO FMC FORGETTING I HAD ANOTHER ENTRY IN THE SCRATCH PAD. WHEN I GLANCED UP, I SAW WE WERE RAPIDLY CLBING THROUGH 10600 FT. I HAD A MOMENT OF PANIC BECAUSE THE ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLBING PAST 10000 FT AND I HAD MISSED IT. I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED TO LEVEL OFF AND THEN REALIZED WE WERE CLRED TO FL230. I DON'T KNOW IF WE EXCEEDED 10000 FT PRIOR TO THE CLRNC TO FL230 BUT IF WE DIDN'T, I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR IT. AT THAT TIME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING CLOSELY, AND I FAILED TO. A CHAIN OF EVENTS LED UP TO THIS. OUR ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED ACFT WAS DAMAGED WHILE WE WERE SITTING IN IT AT THE GATE. WE WAITED MORE THAN 1 HR FOR A REPLACEMENT TO BE BROUGHT FROM A REMOTE PARKING SITE. THERE WAS THEN PRESSURE, SOME SELF INDUCED, TO DEPART ASAP. WHILE PREFLTING, WE FOUND SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES ( STABILIZER TRIM WAY OUT OF NORMAL POS, RADIO VOLUME TURNED ALL THE WAY DOWN, OXYGEN MASK ON FLOOR) AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MISSED THE STABILIZER TRIM CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. IN ANY EVENT, AFTER THE PLANE FAILED TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT, WE FOUND THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER OUT. AFTER RESETTING IT, WE HAD NO FURTHER PROBS WITH AUTOFLT.

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.