A B737-800 flight crew overshoots their assigned altitude 5 NM northwest of ric, va.

Attributes
ACN	483770
Time
Date	200008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ric.vortac
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ric.tracon tower : ric.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	483770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	483268
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altaural wng other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Airspace Structure Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed runway 2 climbing to 3000 ft MSL. First officer flying aircraft with autothrottles inoperative and autoplt off. Made several heading changes immediately after takeoff due to thunderstorms northwest of field. Captain involved with communicating to ATC, avoiding WX, manual setting of throttles, after takeoff checklist and perceived FMS problem. Result was captain missed 1000 ft below call at 2000 ft MSL. First officer climbed to 3200 ft MSL and received aural altitude warning, aircraft then climbed to 3400 ft MSL before initiating descent to 3000 ft MSL. No acknowledgement of altitude deviation made by ATC. Contributing factors: autothrottles inoperative (captain made manual adjustments. Deviating around thunderstorms. No aural alert for altitude prior to reaching on B737-800. FMS was not programmed to adjust climb speed or was slow to change. Low altitude leveloff in a busy environment. 2 events could have changed this outcome. 1) 2 man aircraft not dispatched without autothrottles. 2) low altitude leveloffs create compression of aircraft duties and if airspace permits, higher altitudes should be assigned. Supplemental information from acn 483268: tower gave us 2 heading changes to get on course and avoid thunderstorms near the field. Tower turned us over to departure control who gave us 5000 ft MSL without comment. A contributing factor is that our B737-800's do not have a 1000 ft to go aural warning -- only a 300 ft altitude deviation warning. I believe a 1000 ft to go aural warning would have alerted both the captain and I to the rapidly approaching altitude restr as we worked on avoiding the WX and following departure instructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 FLC OVERSHOOTS THEIR ASSIGNED ALT 5 NM NW OF RIC, VA.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 2 CLBING TO 3000 FT MSL. FO FLYING ACFT WITH AUTOTHROTTLES INOP AND AUTOPLT OFF. MADE SEVERAL HDG CHANGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF DUE TO TSTMS NW OF FIELD. CAPT INVOLVED WITH COMMUNICATING TO ATC, AVOIDING WX, MANUAL SETTING OF THROTTLES, AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND PERCEIVED FMS PROB. RESULT WAS CAPT MISSED 1000 FT BELOW CALL AT 2000 FT MSL. FO CLBED TO 3200 FT MSL AND RECEIVED AURAL ALT WARNING, ACFT THEN CLBED TO 3400 FT MSL BEFORE INITIATING DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ALTDEV MADE BY ATC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: AUTOTHROTTLES INOP (CAPT MADE MANUAL ADJUSTMENTS. DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. NO AURAL ALERT FOR ALT PRIOR TO REACHING ON B737-800. FMS WAS NOT PROGRAMMED TO ADJUST CLB SPD OR WAS SLOW TO CHANGE. LOW ALT LEVELOFF IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT. 2 EVENTS COULD HAVE CHANGED THIS OUTCOME. 1) 2 MAN ACFT NOT DISPATCHED WITHOUT AUTOTHROTTLES. 2) LOW ALT LEVELOFFS CREATE COMPRESSION OF ACFT DUTIES AND IF AIRSPACE PERMITS, HIGHER ALTS SHOULD BE ASSIGNED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 483268: TWR GAVE US 2 HDG CHANGES TO GET ON COURSE AND AVOID TSTMS NEAR THE FIELD. TWR TURNED US OVER TO DEP CTL WHO GAVE US 5000 FT MSL WITHOUT COMMENT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT OUR B737-800'S DO NOT HAVE A 1000 FT TO GO AURAL WARNING -- ONLY A 300 FT ALTDEV WARNING. I BELIEVE A 1000 FT TO GO AURAL WARNING WOULD HAVE ALERTED BOTH THE CAPT AND I TO THE RAPIDLY APCHING ALT RESTR AS WE WORKED ON AVOIDING THE WX AND FOLLOWING DEP INSTRUCTIONS.

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.