Narrative:

Flight was clt-fay. Departed runway 36R. Initial takeoff and climb out were normal as per the SID (panther 5). I was flying and engaged the autoplt at about 2000 ft AGL. We were given a turn to intercept the lills transition and climb to 8000 ft. WX was cloudy with thunderstorms in the area requiring minor deviations. Heading approximately east, I was headed for a small buildup. The autoplt climb profile was going to put us right in the tops of this cloud formation. For some reason, I thought I was still in the climb for 8000 ft assigned. Rather than make a large lateral deviation, I disconnected the autoplt and eased the nose up sacrificing a little airspeed for a better climb angle. I was considering passenger and crew comfort. As I was about to top the cloud, a chime alerter went off. I initially thought it was the airspeed deviation alert. I did not sense a problem since I had chose to make an airspeed deviation. As I looked down to confirm the situation, I saw the altitude 300 ft high from assigned/selected. The captain also alerted me to the situation. I immediately pushed over to correct the error. I did not push very hard, again considering passenger comfort. The captain also assisted the pushover. I saw us top out at 400 ft high. The captain indicated later that he saw 500 ft high on his altimeter. In retrospect, we did make the 7000 ft for 8000 ft callout and the altitude alerter for leveloff did activate. I simply got fixated on avoiding this cloud formation and climbed past the 8000 ft assignment. It was totally my fault. Departure controller made no comment on the deviation, if they even saw it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 FO BECOMES FIXATED ON AVOIDING TSTM AND OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT ON CLBOUT FROM CLT.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLT-FAY. DEPARTED RWY 36R. INITIAL TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL AS PER THE SID (PANTHER 5). I WAS FLYING AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AT ABOUT 2000 FT AGL. WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LILLS TRANSITION AND CLB TO 8000 FT. WX WAS CLOUDY WITH TSTMS IN THE AREA REQUIRING MINOR DEVS. HEADING APPROXIMATELY E, I WAS HEADED FOR A SMALL BUILDUP. THE AUTOPLT CLB PROFILE WAS GOING TO PUT US RIGHT IN THE TOPS OF THIS CLOUD FORMATION. FOR SOME REASON, I THOUGHT I WAS STILL IN THE CLB FOR 8000 FT ASSIGNED. RATHER THAN MAKE A LARGE LATERAL DEV, I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND EASED THE NOSE UP SACRIFICING A LITTLE AIRSPD FOR A BETTER CLB ANGLE. I WAS CONSIDERING PAX AND CREW COMFORT. AS I WAS ABOUT TO TOP THE CLOUD, A CHIME ALERTER WENT OFF. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE AIRSPD DEV ALERT. I DID NOT SENSE A PROB SINCE I HAD CHOSE TO MAKE AN AIRSPD DEV. AS I LOOKED DOWN TO CONFIRM THE SIT, I SAW THE ALT 300 FT HIGH FROM ASSIGNED/SELECTED. THE CAPT ALSO ALERTED ME TO THE SIT. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED OVER TO CORRECT THE ERROR. I DID NOT PUSH VERY HARD, AGAIN CONSIDERING PAX COMFORT. THE CAPT ALSO ASSISTED THE PUSHOVER. I SAW US TOP OUT AT 400 FT HIGH. THE CAPT INDICATED LATER THAT HE SAW 500 FT HIGH ON HIS ALTIMETER. IN RETROSPECT, WE DID MAKE THE 7000 FT FOR 8000 FT CALLOUT AND THE ALT ALERTER FOR LEVELOFF DID ACTIVATE. I SIMPLY GOT FIXATED ON AVOIDING THIS CLOUD FORMATION AND CLBED PAST THE 8000 FT ASSIGNMENT. IT WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT. DEP CTLR MADE NO COMMENT ON THE DEV, IF THEY EVEN SAW IT.

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.