Narrative:

Departed ellington field, tx, to ferry DC10-30 to las vegas, nv. Departure instructions were to turn to 130 degree heading (departure runway 17) and climb to 2000 ft. First officer was flying aircraft at takeoff, and after liftoff while preparing to turn to 130 degrees, his compasses were off 30 degrees from mine, but with no flags. I noticed, told him to turn, giving him instructions using my compass. He called for gear retraction which I did, and at 1000 ft called for flaps 0 degree, climb thrust. I was doing these tasks as well as setting thrust computer and turning autothrottles on. The airplane was very light and climbing rapidly. After retracting gear, setting flaps and autothrottles and telling first officer to turn, I looked at my altimeter and noticed we were at 2800 ft MSL. I immediately told the first officer to return to 2000 ft as assigned. Departure control asked what altitude we were at, and I replied we were leveling at 2000 ft. He said we had VFR traffic at 2500 ft. We saw traffic, no alerts or TCASII warnings. We were then cleared en route with nothing more said about the altitude excursion. Supplemental information from acn 489797: our departure clearance was to turn left 130 degrees, radar vectors to industry VOR and to climb and maintain 2000 ft. When we checked our compasses during our taxi check my HSI compass appeared normal. But after takeoff when I selected and called for heading select the flight guidance roll bar was commanding me to steer right, instead of left. I asked the flight engineer to check for a circuit breaker that might have been out. He said all breakers were ok, but the 'gyroscope needed to be slewed.' my pitch bar was still commanding up even though our target altitude of 2000 ft was armed. This distraction was a factor in going through our assigned altitude of 2000 ft. The captain was busy retracting flaps and setting climb power and did not see the altitude bust right away. I saw it and corrected it immediately. After turning off all flight guidance, we ended up 800 ft higher for less than 15 seconds and there were no TCASII warnings or evasive actions taken. Fatigue is also a contributing factor as well. The crew had been in frankfurt, germany, the day before and even though they were legal to fly, they were all still fatigued. Later on approach to las there were mismatched GS indications between captain and first officer, further suggesting problems with the flight guidance system. The cruise, descent and approach to las were uneventful and normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-30 CREW HAD ALT OVERSHOOT IN I90 CLASS B.

Narrative: DEPARTED ELLINGTON FIELD, TX, TO FERRY DC10-30 TO LAS VEGAS, NV. DEP INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN TO 130 DEG HDG (DEP RWY 17) AND CLB TO 2000 FT. FO WAS FLYING ACFT AT TKOF, AND AFTER LIFTOFF WHILE PREPARING TO TURN TO 130 DEGS, HIS COMPASSES WERE OFF 30 DEGS FROM MINE, BUT WITH NO FLAGS. I NOTICED, TOLD HIM TO TURN, GIVING HIM INSTRUCTIONS USING MY COMPASS. HE CALLED FOR GEAR RETRACTION WHICH I DID, AND AT 1000 FT CALLED FOR FLAPS 0 DEG, CLB THRUST. I WAS DOING THESE TASKS AS WELL AS SETTING THRUST COMPUTER AND TURNING AUTOTHROTTLES ON. THE AIRPLANE WAS VERY LIGHT AND CLBING RAPIDLY. AFTER RETRACTING GEAR, SETTING FLAPS AND AUTOTHROTTLES AND TELLING FO TO TURN, I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND NOTICED WE WERE AT 2800 FT MSL. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE FO TO RETURN TO 2000 FT AS ASSIGNED. DEP CTL ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE AT, AND I REPLIED WE WERE LEVELING AT 2000 FT. HE SAID WE HAD VFR TFC AT 2500 FT. WE SAW TFC, NO ALERTS OR TCASII WARNINGS. WE WERE THEN CLRED ENRTE WITH NOTHING MORE SAID ABOUT THE ALT EXCURSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 489797: OUR DEP CLRNC WAS TO TURN L 130 DEGS, RADAR VECTORS TO INDUSTRY VOR AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT. WHEN WE CHKED OUR COMPASSES DURING OUR TAXI CHK MY HSI COMPASS APPEARED NORMAL. BUT AFTER TKOF WHEN I SELECTED AND CALLED FOR HEADING SELECT THE FLT GUIDANCE ROLL BAR WAS COMMANDING ME TO STEER R, INSTEAD OF L. I ASKED THE FE TO CHK FOR A CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN OUT. HE SAID ALL BREAKERS WERE OK, BUT THE 'GYROSCOPE NEEDED TO BE SLEWED.' MY PITCH BAR WAS STILL COMMANDING UP EVEN THOUGH OUR TARGET ALT OF 2000 FT WAS ARMED. THIS DISTR WAS A FACTOR IN GOING THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT. THE CAPT WAS BUSY RETRACTING FLAPS AND SETTING CLB PWR AND DID NOT SEE THE ALT BUST RIGHT AWAY. I SAW IT AND CORRECTED IT IMMEDIATELY. AFTER TURNING OFF ALL FLT GUIDANCE, WE ENDED UP 800 FT HIGHER FOR LESS THAN 15 SECONDS AND THERE WERE NO TCASII WARNINGS OR EVASIVE ACTIONS TAKEN. FATIGUE IS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR AS WELL. THE CREW HAD BEEN IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY, THE DAY BEFORE AND EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LEGAL TO FLY, THEY WERE ALL STILL FATIGUED. LATER ON APCH TO LAS THERE WERE MISMATCHED GS INDICATIONS BTWN CAPT AND FO, FURTHER SUGGESTING PROBS WITH THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS. THE CRUISE, DSCNT AND APCH TO LAS WERE UNEVENTFUL AND NORMAL.

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.