Narrative:

After an already long day, we experienced a 2 hour 15 min delay for ATC reroute due to WX leaving kteb enroute for klit. Once we finally had our clearance and passenger on board, we taxied out for departure. We briefed the teb 4 departure for runway 19 as assigned. We were held for approximately 8 mins on the runway 19/24 apron before departure. Just in case of a runway change we also briefed runway 24 departure procedures. Sure enough tower cleared us in position on runway 24. As we taxied onto runway 24, I asked the co-pilot to review the runway 24 procedures. He started reading runway 19 instructions. I corrected him about the time tower cleared us for takeoff. I should have refused the clearance until I fully understood the clearance, but having been in and out of teb countless times before, I elected to take off. The SID reads runway heading till 1500 ft the right turn heading 280 degrees till crossing 4.5 NM from teb. The climb to and maintain 3000 ft. Everything went fine until we reached 1500 ft and started our turn to 280 degrees. I asked my co-pilot to set 3000 ft in the altitude preselect. He started to climb to 3000FT as he set in 3000 ft. Being tired and slightly aggravated at the delay and my co-pilot misreading the departure procedure, I allowed the aircraft to climb before the 4.5 NM fix. Almost as soon as I did, I realized something was wrong. I asked my co-pilot to verify we were cleared to climb as I started to level the aircraft at 1800 ft. About this time we switched to ny departure. The controller immediately requested we maintain 1500 ft, that we were in or very close to newark final approach. I had already started to descend to 1500 ft. The controller stated that we did not cause a conflict and that we had avoided newark airspace and that all was fine. My co-pilot was completely confused as to what had happened partly because I don't think he really read and understood the clearance and most of all was taking pictures of the ny skyline as soon as we took off. I did not know that he was planning to take pictures until we were airborne. In the future I will refuse take off or landing clearance if I am unsure of the controller/SID/STAR instructions. I will also try to fester a better CRM environment and know what my co-pilot intentions are after takeoff. Note: we never experienced a TA/RA during the missed altitude event. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the PIC had been surprised and angered at the first officer's acton of leaning across him to take several pictures, starting at 50 ft AGL to about 200 ft. He stopped this action as soon as he could and said nothing until arriving at destination airport where the crew debriefed. He brought the particulars of the incident up to the chief pilot as a new subject in what to cover when holding a cockpit briefing, of '...no more surprises....' the first officer was an ex military pilot and had been an aircraft commander. Reporter felt that the picture taking was because of the extraordinarily clear day at sunset with the skyline appearing in total clarity. The debriefing consisted of the need for the first officer to advise the captain in advance of any abnormal plans being contemplated. The FMS did not have the departure procedure in the data base for the runway 24 departure procedure, thus the confusion over the altitudes and headings. Captain said that, in retrospect, he should have refused the takeoff clearance for runway 24.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C550 PIC IS FRUSTRATED OVER IMPROPER COCKPIT PROCS THAT RESULTED IN AN ALT EXCURSION DURING THE DEP PROC FROM RWY 24 AT TEB, NJ.

Narrative: AFTER AN ALREADY LONG DAY, WE EXPERIENCED A 2 HR 15 MIN DELAY FOR ATC REROUTE DUE TO WX LEAVING KTEB ENROUTE FOR KLIT. ONCE WE FINALLY HAD OUR CLRNC AND PAX ON BOARD, WE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP. WE BRIEFED THE TEB 4 DEP FOR RWY 19 AS ASSIGNED. WE WERE HELD FOR APPROX 8 MINS ON THE RWY 19/24 APRON BEFORE DEP. JUST IN CASE OF A RWY CHANGE WE ALSO BRIEFED RWY 24 DEP PROCS. SURE ENOUGH TWR CLRED US IN POSITION ON RWY 24. AS WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 24, I ASKED THE CO-PLT TO REVIEW THE RWY 24 PROCS. HE STARTED READING RWY 19 INSTRUCTIONS. I CORRECTED HIM ABOUT THE TIME TWR CLRED US FOR TAKEOFF. I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE CLRNC UNTIL I FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC, BUT HAVING BEEN IN AND OUT OF TEB COUNTLESS TIMES BEFORE, I ELECTED TO TAKE OFF. THE SID READS RWY HDG TILL 1500 FT THE R TURN HDG 280 DEGS TILL CROSSING 4.5 NM FROM TEB. THE CLIMB TO AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. EVERYTHING WENT FINE UNTIL WE REACHED 1500 FT AND STARTED OUR TURN TO 280 DEGS. I ASKED MY CO-PLT TO SET 3000 FT IN THE ALT PRESELECT. HE STARTED TO CLIMB TO 3000FT AS HE SET IN 3000 FT. BEING TIRED AND SLIGHTLY AGGRAVATED AT THE DELAY AND MY CO-PLT MISREADING THE DEP PROC, I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLIMB BEFORE THE 4.5 NM FIX. ALMOST AS SOON AS I DID, I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I ASKED MY CO-PLT TO VERIFY WE WERE CLRED TO CLIMB AS I STARTED TO LEVEL THE ACFT AT 1800 FT. ABOUT THIS TIME WE SWITCHED TO NY DEP. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED WE MAINTAIN 1500 FT, THAT WE WERE IN OR VERY CLOSE TO NEWARK FINAL APCH. I HAD ALREADY STARTED TO DESCEND TO 1500 FT. THE CTLR STATED THAT WE DID NOT CAUSE A CONFLICT AND THAT WE HAD AVOIDED NEWARK AIRSPACE AND THAT ALL WAS FINE. MY CO-PLT WAS COMPLETELY CONFUSED AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED PARTLY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK HE REALLY READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND MOST OF ALL WAS TAKING PICTURES OF THE NY SKYLINE AS SOON AS WE TOOK OFF. I DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS PLANNING TO TAKE PICTURES UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL REFUSE TAKE OFF OR LNDG CLRNC IF I AM UNSURE OF THE CTLR/SID/STAR INSTRUCTIONS. I WILL ALSO TRY TO FESTER A BETTER CRM ENVIRONMENT AND KNOW WHAT MY CO-PLT INTENTIONS ARE AFTER TAKEOFF. NOTE: WE NEVER EXPERIENCED A TA/RA DURING THE MISSED ALT EVENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PIC HAD BEEN SURPRISED AND ANGERED AT THE FO'S ACTON OF LEANING ACROSS HIM TO TAKE SEVERAL PICTURES, STARTING AT 50 FT AGL TO ABOUT 200 FT. HE STOPPED THIS ACTION AS SOON AS HE COULD AND SAID NOTHING UNTIL ARRIVING AT DEST ARPT WHERE THE CREW DEBRIEFED. HE BROUGHT THE PARTICULARS OF THE INCIDENT UP TO THE CHIEF PLT AS A NEW SUBJECT IN WHAT TO COVER WHEN HOLDING A COCKPIT BRIEFING, OF '...NO MORE SURPRISES....' THE FO WAS AN EX MIL PLT AND HAD BEEN AN ACFT COMMANDER. RPTR FELT THAT THE PICTURE TAKING WAS BECAUSE OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY CLR DAY AT SUNSET WITH THE SKYLINE APPEARING IN TOTAL CLARITY. THE DEBRIEFING CONSISTED OF THE NEED FOR THE FO TO ADVISE THE CAPT IN ADVANCE OF ANY ABNORMAL PLANS BEING CONTEMPLATED. THE FMS DID NOT HAVE THE DEP PROC IN THE DATA BASE FOR THE RWY 24 DEP PROC, THUS THE CONFUSION OVER THE ALTITUDES AND HDGS. CAPT SAID THAT, IN RETROSPECT, HE SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE TKOF CLRNC FOR RWY 24.

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.