MD80 crew had an altitude overshoot in C90 class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	486880
Time
Date	200009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5700
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	486880
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	486879
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Altitude deviation. Shortly after takeoff on runway 32 at ord during night VMC, the flight director failed, followed by the flight guidance panel going totally inoperative. This also left the altitude capture feature inoperative. The captain (PF) asked me to switch flight director switch to 'both' on one. Just prior to the request, the '4000 ft for 5000 ft' call was made. While I was locating and changing the position of the switch, we passed through our clearance altitude. I saw it at 5500 ft and we quickly descended back to 5000 ft. ATC noticed our deviation, but there seemed to be no conflict as a result of our deviation. It all goes back to fly the jet first, the communicate, navigation, troubleshoot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD AN ALT OVERSHOOT IN C90 CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ALTDEV. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF ON RWY 32 AT ORD DURING NIGHT VMC, THE FLT DIRECTOR FAILED, FOLLOWED BY THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL GOING TOTALLY INOP. THIS ALSO LEFT THE ALT CAPTURE FEATURE INOP. THE CAPT (PF) ASKED ME TO SWITCH FLT DIRECTOR SWITCH TO 'BOTH' ON ONE. JUST PRIOR TO THE REQUEST, THE '4000 FT FOR 5000 FT' CALL WAS MADE. WHILE I WAS LOCATING AND CHANGING THE POS OF THE SWITCH, WE PASSED THROUGH OUR CLRNC ALT. I SAW IT AT 5500 FT AND WE QUICKLY DSNDED BACK TO 5000 FT. ATC NOTICED OUR DEV, BUT THERE SEEMED TO BE NO CONFLICT AS A RESULT OF OUR DEV. IT ALL GOES BACK TO FLY THE JET FIRST, THE COMMUNICATE, NAV, TROUBLESHOOT.

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.