Narrative:

This altitude bust event actually started at the predep briefing. I asked the first officer to get the ATIS, which he did, and wrote some but not all of the information on the takeoff card. I did not listen to the ATIS myself due to pretkof workload. After programming the FMS and loading the navrad page with the necessary backup fixes and radials, I briefed the first officer on the departure and stated at that time that I did not see an altitude restr on the chart. He understood the briefing and agreed that he also did not see an altitude restr. Not having a climb restr issued in the clearance or on the SID is not uncommon overseas as the tower will often given the altitude restr with the takeoff clearance. The second mistake I made was not listening to the ATIS myself as it stated that the departure frequency had been changed to one that was not listed on the chart. The first officer missed it and did not note the change of frequency on the takeoff card. This played a role on departure. The climb instructions are listed next to the routing on the text part of the SID and are not shown on the plan diagram. We both missed the small print next to the routing. Also, the way the chart clip holds the plate in position may have had a bearing on why we both missed it because of the way the lighting is on the yoke chart holder and the shadow across the top part of the plate. Most pilots have complained about inadequate chart lighting in the cockpit of the MD11. The departure instructions state that the crew is to switch to departure immediately after takeoff. It was my leg and at approximately 1000 ft I had to ask the first officer to call departure as he failed to make the call. He then switched to the departure frequency listed on the chart, which was not the one in use as per the ATIS I hadn't heard. I then told him to switch back to tower to check the frequency. Meanwhile we are very light as it is only a 1 hour 30 min flight from frankfurt to paris and climbing at approximately 5000 FPM. The climb restr was 5000 ft as listed on the SID. By the time my first officer was able to talk to departure, we had just passed the 5000 ft altitude and were issued a leveloff at 9000 ft and a reminder from the controller that there was a 5000 ft restr on the SID. I then pulled the chart from the yoke and was able to see it almost immediately. As far as I know there was no traffic conflict and the controller did not mention one. Corrective action: 1) always listen to the ATIS even though it is generally received by the first officer. 2) pay very close attention to the SID format as the altitude restrs may not be on the plan diagram as is the norm in the united states of america and most other airports. 3) if the initial altitude is not given in the initial clearance, do not take off without confirming the initial altitude assignment. 4) I will make a note to chart producer to put altitude restrs on both the plan diagram and the text briefing. I think it would be helpful to have critical altitude and heading information printed in red or some other color that would stand out from the normal type set color. 5) try to be more vigilant with the chart information as the safe operation of the aircraft rests solely with myself and the responsibility is mine alone.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 FLC OVERSHOOTS THE ASSIGNED ALT AFTER FAILING TO NOTE THE NEW DEP FREQ ON ATIS AND THE PUBLISHED INITIAL ALT RESTR FOR THE KIRN SID, EDDF, FO.

Narrative: THIS ALT BUST EVENT ACTUALLY STARTED AT THE PREDEP BRIEFING. I ASKED THE FO TO GET THE ATIS, WHICH HE DID, AND WROTE SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE INFO ON THE TKOF CARD. I DID NOT LISTEN TO THE ATIS MYSELF DUE TO PRETKOF WORKLOAD. AFTER PROGRAMMING THE FMS AND LOADING THE NAVRAD PAGE WITH THE NECESSARY BACKUP FIXES AND RADIALS, I BRIEFED THE FO ON THE DEP AND STATED AT THAT TIME THAT I DID NOT SEE AN ALT RESTR ON THE CHART. HE UNDERSTOOD THE BRIEFING AND AGREED THAT HE ALSO DID NOT SEE AN ALT RESTR. NOT HAVING A CLB RESTR ISSUED IN THE CLRNC OR ON THE SID IS NOT UNCOMMON OVERSEAS AS THE TWR WILL OFTEN GIVEN THE ALT RESTR WITH THE TKOF CLRNC. THE SECOND MISTAKE I MADE WAS NOT LISTENING TO THE ATIS MYSELF AS IT STATED THAT THE DEP FREQ HAD BEEN CHANGED TO ONE THAT WAS NOT LISTED ON THE CHART. THE FO MISSED IT AND DID NOT NOTE THE CHANGE OF FREQ ON THE TKOF CARD. THIS PLAYED A ROLE ON DEP. THE CLB INSTRUCTIONS ARE LISTED NEXT TO THE ROUTING ON THE TEXT PART OF THE SID AND ARE NOT SHOWN ON THE PLAN DIAGRAM. WE BOTH MISSED THE SMALL PRINT NEXT TO THE ROUTING. ALSO, THE WAY THE CHART CLIP HOLDS THE PLATE IN POS MAY HAVE HAD A BEARING ON WHY WE BOTH MISSED IT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LIGHTING IS ON THE YOKE CHART HOLDER AND THE SHADOW ACROSS THE TOP PART OF THE PLATE. MOST PLTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT INADEQUATE CHART LIGHTING IN THE COCKPIT OF THE MD11. THE DEP INSTRUCTIONS STATE THAT THE CREW IS TO SWITCH TO DEP IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. IT WAS MY LEG AND AT APPROX 1000 FT I HAD TO ASK THE FO TO CALL DEP AS HE FAILED TO MAKE THE CALL. HE THEN SWITCHED TO THE DEP FREQ LISTED ON THE CHART, WHICH WAS NOT THE ONE IN USE AS PER THE ATIS I HADN'T HEARD. I THEN TOLD HIM TO SWITCH BACK TO TWR TO CHK THE FREQ. MEANWHILE WE ARE VERY LIGHT AS IT IS ONLY A 1 HR 30 MIN FLT FROM FRANKFURT TO PARIS AND CLBING AT APPROX 5000 FPM. THE CLB RESTR WAS 5000 FT AS LISTED ON THE SID. BY THE TIME MY FO WAS ABLE TO TALK TO DEP, WE HAD JUST PASSED THE 5000 FT ALT AND WERE ISSUED A LEVELOFF AT 9000 FT AND A REMINDER FROM THE CTLR THAT THERE WAS A 5000 FT RESTR ON THE SID. I THEN PULLED THE CHART FROM THE YOKE AND WAS ABLE TO SEE IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT AND THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION ONE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE ATIS EVEN THOUGH IT IS GENERALLY RECEIVED BY THE FO. 2) PAY VERY CLOSE ATTN TO THE SID FORMAT AS THE ALT RESTRS MAY NOT BE ON THE PLAN DIAGRAM AS IS THE NORM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND MOST OTHER ARPTS. 3) IF THE INITIAL ALT IS NOT GIVEN IN THE INITIAL CLRNC, DO NOT TAKE OFF WITHOUT CONFIRMING THE INITIAL ALT ASSIGNMENT. 4) I WILL MAKE A NOTE TO CHART PRODUCER TO PUT ALT RESTRS ON BOTH THE PLAN DIAGRAM AND THE TEXT BRIEFING. I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE CRITICAL ALT AND HDG INFO PRINTED IN RED OR SOME OTHER COLOR THAT WOULD STAND OUT FROM THE NORMAL TYPE SET COLOR. 5) TRY TO BE MORE VIGILANT WITH THE CHART INFO AS THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT RESTS SOLELY WITH MYSELF AND THE RESPONSIBILITY IS MINE ALONE.

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.