Narrative:

Our flight had just departed ewr to the north and was being step climbed and vectored around traffic. We were asked to hold 250 KTS above 10000 ft until advised and assigned a 280 degree heading. Our next call was to climb to 11000 ft and turn to a 360 degree heading. We noted the traffic on TCASII and were turning to 360 degrees and beginning to level at 11000 ft when the first officer said '2-8-0.' my thought was that I had missed an altitude call to go to FL280, so I moved the vertical speed wheel on the autoplt to continue the climb to FL280. We were passing 11000 ft and I noticed my airspeed was past 250 KTS (now at 280 KTS) when I realized that is what he meant by '2-8-0.' by this time both the first officer and the so are calling altitude indicating to me I had just climbed above 11000 ft. I disconnected the autoplt and returned the aircraft back to, 11000 ft. I also slowed the aircraft back to 250 KTS as assigned above 10000 ft. We had climbed 500 ft above our assigned altitude prior to recognizing the situation and returning back to our assigned altitude of 11000 ft. We did have our traffic in sight during this process with 4-5 mi of separation. We later discussed the issue of the first officer call '2-8-0' and the confusion that lead to the mistakes made thereafter. Supplemental information from acn 478060: on departure from ewr. Assigned 250 KIAS and 11000 ft. Just leveled off at 11000 ft. Captain didn't pull speed on autothrottles, first officer saw speed increasing above 250 KIAS and said something like 'we're going to 2-8-0.' captain thought he meant we were cleared to FL280 and command the autoplt to climb. I looked and saw 11000 ft still set in the altitude window, said 'where are we going?' and pointed to the altitude window (still showing 11000 ft). The captain redirected a descent back to 11000 ft (I believe we topped out at 11500 ft). New york departure queried us about our altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 CREW HAD ALT EXCURSION AND SPD DEV IN N-90 CLASS E.

Narrative: OUR FLT HAD JUST DEPARTED EWR TO THE N AND WAS BEING STEP CLBED AND VECTORED AROUND TFC. WE WERE ASKED TO HOLD 250 KTS ABOVE 10000 FT UNTIL ADVISED AND ASSIGNED A 280 DEG HDG. OUR NEXT CALL WAS TO CLB TO 11000 FT AND TURN TO A 360 DEG HDG. WE NOTED THE TFC ON TCASII AND WERE TURNING TO 360 DEGS AND BEGINNING TO LEVEL AT 11000 FT WHEN THE FO SAID '2-8-0.' MY THOUGHT WAS THAT I HAD MISSED AN ALT CALL TO GO TO FL280, SO I MOVED THE VERT SPD WHEEL ON THE AUTOPLT TO CONTINUE THE CLB TO FL280. WE WERE PASSING 11000 FT AND I NOTICED MY AIRSPD WAS PAST 250 KTS (NOW AT 280 KTS) WHEN I REALIZED THAT IS WHAT HE MEANT BY '2-8-0.' BY THIS TIME BOTH THE FO AND THE SO ARE CALLING ALT INDICATING TO ME I HAD JUST CLBED ABOVE 11000 FT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND RETURNED THE ACFT BACK TO, 11000 FT. I ALSO SLOWED THE ACFT BACK TO 250 KTS AS ASSIGNED ABOVE 10000 FT. WE HAD CLBED 500 FT ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT PRIOR TO RECOGNIZING THE SIT AND RETURNING BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000 FT. WE DID HAVE OUR TFC IN SIGHT DURING THIS PROCESS WITH 4-5 MI OF SEPARATION. WE LATER DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF THE FO CALL '2-8-0' AND THE CONFUSION THAT LEAD TO THE MISTAKES MADE THEREAFTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 478060: ON DEP FROM EWR. ASSIGNED 250 KIAS AND 11000 FT. JUST LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT. CAPT DIDN'T PULL SPD ON AUTOTHROTTLES, FO SAW SPD INCREASING ABOVE 250 KIAS AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'WE'RE GOING TO 2-8-0.' CAPT THOUGHT HE MEANT WE WERE CLRED TO FL280 AND COMMAND THE AUTOPLT TO CLB. I LOOKED AND SAW 11000 FT STILL SET IN THE ALT WINDOW, SAID 'WHERE ARE WE GOING?' AND POINTED TO THE ALT WINDOW (STILL SHOWING 11000 FT). THE CAPT REDIRECTED A DSCNT BACK TO 11000 FT (I BELIEVE WE TOPPED OUT AT 11500 FT). NEW YORK DEP QUERIED US ABOUT OUR ALT.

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.