Narrative:

During climb out, stl departure issued a clearance to us to climb to 5000 ft. At 4000 ft, both pilots acknowledged 1000 ft to go by pointing to the altitude preselect, hearing the altitude aural chime and both pilots stating, '4000 ft for 5000 ft.' as PNF, I was obligated to call departure times and fuel load in to our company operations when workload permits. Thinking the workload permitted, I told the first officer 'I'm off communication #1 to call in times. We have less than 1000 ft to go to leveloff, on the 070 degree heading, are you ok?' the first officer reported he was ok and had things under control. While I was on communication #2 calling times and verifying fuel load by looking at the release, I heard the aural altitude chime going off. I noticed that 5000 ft was still in the altitude preselect box and the aircraft was approaching 5500 ft. I quickly called this to the first officer's attention by verbal acknowledgement, pointing to altimeter and pushing the yoke over. The first officer quickly descended to and leveled off at 5000 ft. I reported to the first officer that 'I'm back on communication #1, let's wait to see if ATC calls us on it' (the climb through altitude assigned). ATC never called us on it, nor did they acknowledge anything. I filled out a NASA report just to be on the safe side. Supplemental information from acn 505390: on the evening of mar/xa/01 at XA00, I departed stl with my captain in aircraft abc, which was a company flight, destination fwa. Upon initial contact with departure control, we were assigned an easterly heading assignment and an altitude of 5000 ft MSL. I was operating as the PNF and my captain was the PF. As we climbed, a control change was agreed upon by both of us so that the captain could attend to a communication with operations. The control exchange occurred prior to the time we needed to level our altitude at 5000 ft MSL. Due to the exchange of the controls, I inadvertently allowed the aircraft to climb through our assigned altitude by approximately 250-300 ft above 5000 ft MSL. In the future, this problem may most certainly be avoided by delaying a change of controls until out of a critical phase of flight. The altitude deviation occurred for no more than 30-45 seconds before corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF34 CREW OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DEP.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT, STL DEP ISSUED A CLRNC TO US TO CLB TO 5000 FT. AT 4000 FT, BOTH PLTS ACKNOWLEDGED 1000 FT TO GO BY POINTING TO THE ALT PRESELECT, HEARING THE ALT AURAL CHIME AND BOTH PLTS STATING, '4000 FT FOR 5000 FT.' AS PNF, I WAS OBLIGATED TO CALL DEP TIMES AND FUEL LOAD IN TO OUR COMPANY OPS WHEN WORKLOAD PERMITS. THINKING THE WORKLOAD PERMITTED, I TOLD THE FO 'I'M OFF COM #1 TO CALL IN TIMES. WE HAVE LESS THAN 1000 FT TO GO TO LEVELOFF, ON THE 070 DEG HDG, ARE YOU OK?' THE FO RPTED HE WAS OK AND HAD THINGS UNDER CTL. WHILE I WAS ON COM #2 CALLING TIMES AND VERIFYING FUEL LOAD BY LOOKING AT THE RELEASE, I HEARD THE AURAL ALT CHIME GOING OFF. I NOTICED THAT 5000 FT WAS STILL IN THE ALT PRESELECT BOX AND THE ACFT WAS APCHING 5500 FT. I QUICKLY CALLED THIS TO THE FO'S ATTN BY VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, POINTING TO ALTIMETER AND PUSHING THE YOKE OVER. THE FO QUICKLY DSNDED TO AND LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT. I RPTED TO THE FO THAT 'I'M BACK ON COM #1, LET'S WAIT TO SEE IF ATC CALLS US ON IT' (THE CLB THROUGH ALT ASSIGNED). ATC NEVER CALLED US ON IT, NOR DID THEY ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING. I FILLED OUT A NASA RPT JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 505390: ON THE EVENING OF MAR/XA/01 AT XA00, I DEPARTED STL WITH MY CAPT IN ACFT ABC, WHICH WAS A COMPANY FLT, DEST FWA. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP CTL, WE WERE ASSIGNED AN EASTERLY HDG ASSIGNMENT AND AN ALT OF 5000 FT MSL. I WAS OPERATING AS THE PNF AND MY CAPT WAS THE PF. AS WE CLBED, A CTL CHANGE WAS AGREED UPON BY BOTH OF US SO THAT THE CAPT COULD ATTEND TO A COM WITH OPS. THE CTL EXCHANGE OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE TIME WE NEEDED TO LEVEL OUR ALT AT 5000 FT MSL. DUE TO THE EXCHANGE OF THE CTLS, I INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT BY APPROX 250-300 FT ABOVE 5000 FT MSL. IN THE FUTURE, THIS PROB MAY MOST CERTAINLY BE AVOIDED BY DELAYING A CHANGE OF CTLS UNTIL OUT OF A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. THE ALTDEV OCCURRED FOR NO MORE THAN 30-45 SECONDS BEFORE CORRECTED.

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.