Flight was assigned FL270, but continued climb to FL275 before returning to FL270.

Attributes
ACN	461990
Time
Date	200001
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : lfk.vortac
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	461990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During climb out of iah en route to ord, climbing to FL270, the captain continued climb to FL275. The captain was hand flying the aircraft. This particular captain claims he prefers not to use the autothrottle or the autoplt except for some portions of level flight. He often flies nowhere near the flight director command bars. Between juggling radio communications, monitoring engine power setting limitations, and monitoring moderate flying skills being done by hand, this pilot is very challenging to fly with. He has a distrust and/or lack of understanding of the FMS and prefers flying manually or with inputs to the AFDS only. I made the standard company call of FL260 for FL270. I should have only concentrated on his leveloff, but I missed it until approximately FL272, when I called it to his attention in a vigorous manner. His reaction time was a little slow and by the time he carefully started the aircraft into a descent, he was at approximately FL275. At approximately FL271, the controller asked us our altitude and I was at that point honestly able to say FL270. The controller said we will get higher shortly and left it at that. I then had to call out his altitude as he descended toward FL268. This is my second NASA report from the trip with this captain. After this incident, my level of awareness and monitoring with this pilot was so heightened, no further occurrences happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT WAS ASSIGNED FL270, BUT CONTINUED CLB TO FL275 BEFORE RETURNING TO FL270.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT OF IAH ENRTE TO ORD, CLBING TO FL270, THE CAPT CONTINUED CLB TO FL275. THE CAPT WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. THIS PARTICULAR CAPT CLAIMS HE PREFERS NOT TO USE THE AUTOTHROTTLE OR THE AUTOPLT EXCEPT FOR SOME PORTIONS OF LEVEL FLT. HE OFTEN FLIES NOWHERE NEAR THE FLT DIRECTOR COMMAND BARS. BTWN JUGGLING RADIO COMS, MONITORING ENG PWR SETTING LIMITATIONS, AND MONITORING MODERATE FLYING SKILLS BEING DONE BY HAND, THIS PLT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO FLY WITH. HE HAS A DISTRUST AND/OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE FMS AND PREFERS FLYING MANUALLY OR WITH INPUTS TO THE AFDS ONLY. I MADE THE STANDARD COMPANY CALL OF FL260 FOR FL270. I SHOULD HAVE ONLY CONCENTRATED ON HIS LEVELOFF, BUT I MISSED IT UNTIL APPROX FL272, WHEN I CALLED IT TO HIS ATTN IN A VIGOROUS MANNER. HIS REACTION TIME WAS A LITTLE SLOW AND BY THE TIME HE CAREFULLY STARTED THE ACFT INTO A DSCNT, HE WAS AT APPROX FL275. AT APPROX FL271, THE CTLR ASKED US OUR ALT AND I WAS AT THAT POINT HONESTLY ABLE TO SAY FL270. THE CTLR SAID WE WILL GET HIGHER SHORTLY AND LEFT IT AT THAT. I THEN HAD TO CALL OUT HIS ALT AS HE DSNDED TOWARD FL268. THIS IS MY SECOND NASA RPT FROM THE TRIP WITH THIS CAPT. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, MY LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND MONITORING WITH THIS PLT WAS SO HEIGHTENED, NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES HAPPENED.

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.