Distraction by an aircraft equipment problem and training in progress, an air carrier crew accepts a frequency change and an assumed climb clearance in error.

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Attributes
ACN	496180
Time
Date	200012
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	496180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 8
ASRS Report	496179
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IOE flight. New copilot with less than 8 hours in type. Was having trouble maintaining altitude. Aircraft autothrottles inoperative. Captain's air data computer faulted at about the time the departure control agency issued a clearance to go direct to trm and go to a new agency. I thought in the confusion we had also been cleared to FL230. Went to the new frequency with no response, then went back to old frequency. Meanwhile, student began climb to FL230. Asked again for new frequency and asked about climb clearance, which was stated to maintain 17000 ft. Passing FL180 in the climb now, so captain took jet and descended back to 17000 ft. Checked in with new frequency level at 17000 ft. ATC did not comment about our altitude excursion. Contributing factors: student first officer, no autothrottles, air data computer faulting at clearance time, and captain's expectation of a climb clearance, plus flight director faulting by not capturing assigned altitude correctly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTR BY AN ACFT EQUIP PROB AND TRAINING IN PROGRESS, AN ACR CREW ACCEPTS A FREQ CHANGE AND AN ASSUMED CLB CLRNC IN ERROR.

Narrative: IOE FLT. NEW COPLT WITH LESS THAN 8 HRS IN TYPE. WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING ALT. ACFT AUTOTHROTTLES INOP. CAPT'S AIR DATA COMPUTER FAULTED AT ABOUT THE TIME THE DEP CTL AGENCY ISSUED A CLRNC TO GO DIRECT TO TRM AND GO TO A NEW AGENCY. I THOUGHT IN THE CONFUSION WE HAD ALSO BEEN CLRED TO FL230. WENT TO THE NEW FREQ WITH NO RESPONSE, THEN WENT BACK TO OLD FREQ. MEANWHILE, STUDENT BEGAN CLB TO FL230. ASKED AGAIN FOR NEW FREQ AND ASKED ABOUT CLB CLRNC, WHICH WAS STATED TO MAINTAIN 17000 FT. PASSING FL180 IN THE CLB NOW, SO CAPT TOOK JET AND DSNDED BACK TO 17000 FT. CHKED IN WITH NEW FREQ LEVEL AT 17000 FT. ATC DID NOT COMMENT ABOUT OUR ALT EXCURSION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STUDENT FO, NO AUTOTHROTTLES, AIR DATA COMPUTER FAULTING AT CLRNC TIME, AND CAPT'S EXPECTATION OF A CLB CLRNC, PLUS FLT DIRECTOR FAULTING BY NOT CAPTURING ASSIGNED ALT CORRECTLY.

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.