A320 crew on climb out, distraction by TCASII TA traffic, overshot assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	495780
Time
Date	200012
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Make Model Name	A340
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other Other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7600 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	495780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Miss Distance	horizontal : 9000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Approximately XA13-XA15Z, climbing on departure from jfk en route to pbi. In the climb we were experiencing moderate turbulence associated with an area of WX ahead. Earlier in the day, a cold front was moving through the new york area causing extreme LLWAS with lines of severe WX. Barometric pressure was extremely low -29.38 in/hg. Between cri and wavey on an assignment for direct wavey. ATC assigned heading 220 degrees to intercept J174, climb to FL190. Passing 17500 ft the TCASII called 'traffic' (TA). We visually acquired traffic at 10 O'clock position, moving left to right in a right banking turn. Our assigned heading of 200 degrees had us turning into the traffic, which visually appeared to be descending towards our altitude and approximately 2-3 mi away and converging rapidly. Our assigned course had us turning toward the track of the A340, so I immediately stopped my turn until our courses were diverging. While evading the conflicting traffic the aircraft autoplt captured FL190 and decreased the rate of climb for the altitude capture. Climbing through FL188 we performed the transition altitude procedure per company SOP. When the new altimeter setting was set (29.92) the indicated altitude was approaching FL194. We immediately descended to FL190. ATC called and confirmed we were maintaining FL190.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW ON CLBOUT, DISTR BY TCASII TA TFC, OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: APPROX XA13-XA15Z, CLBING ON DEP FROM JFK ENRTE TO PBI. IN THE CLB WE WERE EXPERIENCING MODERATE TURB ASSOCIATED WITH AN AREA OF WX AHEAD. EARLIER IN THE DAY, A COLD FRONT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE NEW YORK AREA CAUSING EXTREME LLWAS WITH LINES OF SEVERE WX. BAROMETRIC PRESSURE WAS EXTREMELY LOW -29.38 IN/HG. BTWN CRI AND WAVEY ON AN ASSIGNMENT FOR DIRECT WAVEY. ATC ASSIGNED HDG 220 DEGS TO INTERCEPT J174, CLB TO FL190. PASSING 17500 FT THE TCASII CALLED 'TFC' (TA). WE VISUALLY ACQUIRED TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, MOVING L TO R IN A R BANKING TURN. OUR ASSIGNED HDG OF 200 DEGS HAD US TURNING INTO THE TFC, WHICH VISUALLY APPEARED TO BE DSNDING TOWARDS OUR ALT AND APPROX 2-3 MI AWAY AND CONVERGING RAPIDLY. OUR ASSIGNED COURSE HAD US TURNING TOWARD THE TRACK OF THE A340, SO I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED MY TURN UNTIL OUR COURSES WERE DIVERGING. WHILE EVADING THE CONFLICTING TFC THE ACFT AUTOPLT CAPTURED FL190 AND DECREASED THE RATE OF CLB FOR THE ALT CAPTURE. CLBING THROUGH FL188 WE PERFORMED THE TRANSITION ALT PROC PER COMPANY SOP. WHEN THE NEW ALTIMETER SETTING WAS SET (29.92) THE INDICATED ALT WAS APCHING FL194. WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO FL190. ATC CALLED AND CONFIRMED WE WERE MAINTAINING FL190.

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.