B735 crew overshot assigned altitude on departure.

Attributes
ACN	504230
Time
Date	200103
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11350
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc tracon : mcc.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors departure sid : dudes
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 400 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	504230
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight from smf to iah. We departed the gate at AM35 local time. The sun was just coming over the horizon to the east. The WX was clear with unlimited visibility. We departed runway 34R and joined the dudes 9 departure. The first officer was the PF and was hand flying using LNAV for course guidance and VNAV for vertical guidance. We were given an altitude of 11000 ft by departure controller. We were given a heading of 090 degrees to join the departure radial further east. Upon turning east, we were subjected to extremely bright sun from the sun just above the horizon. We were then given a frequency change to ZOA. During the frequency change and course change, we had a brief altitude overshoot to 11350 ft MSL. This was immediately corrected and we were then cleared to FL230. We then proceeded on to iah with no further incident. We probably could have avoided this by using the autoplt for this climb with cockpit visibility reduced by the bright sunlight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B735 CREW OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT ON DEP.

Narrative: FLT FROM SMF TO IAH. WE DEPARTED THE GATE AT AM35 LCL TIME. THE SUN WAS JUST COMING OVER THE HORIZON TO THE E. THE WX WAS CLR WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. WE DEPARTED RWY 34R AND JOINED THE DUDES 9 DEP. THE FO WAS THE PF AND WAS HAND FLYING USING LNAV FOR COURSE GUIDANCE AND VNAV FOR VERT GUIDANCE. WE WERE GIVEN AN ALT OF 11000 FT BY DEP CTLR. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 090 DEGS TO JOIN THE DEP RADIAL FURTHER E. UPON TURNING E, WE WERE SUBJECTED TO EXTREMELY BRIGHT SUN FROM THE SUN JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO ZOA. DURING THE FREQ CHANGE AND COURSE CHANGE, WE HAD A BRIEF ALT OVERSHOOT TO 11350 FT MSL. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED AND WE WERE THEN CLRED TO FL230. WE THEN PROCEEDED ON TO IAH WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS BY USING THE AUTOPLT FOR THIS CLB WITH COCKPIT VISIBILITY REDUCED BY THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT.

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.