Narrative:

We had just departed the lincoln airport in VMC conditions, and momentarily leveled off at 4500 ft MSL to clear some clouds. I was the PF, and the captain was the PNF. The captain contacted ATC and picked up our IFR clearance to the san jose airport. The captain was busy writing and said to me, 'hey, let's get climbing.' I reselected the altitude pre-select to 8000 ft, and began climbing at approximately 5000 FPM. Moments later the captain looked up and said, 'you just went through 7000 ft, and ATC only cleared us to 7000 ft.' by the time I could correct, the aircraft had busted the 7000 ft clearance by 800 ft. Filing IFR, departing an uncontrolled field, and picking up the clearance after departure poses some extra problems while flying a high performance jet. 1) the speed at which the aircraft can achieve the set altitude. 2) the possibility that ATC could have delays. 3) unexpected routing that causes way too much heads down time reprogramming an FMS, etc. Pre-departure, the captain and I had briefed on climbing to 8000 ft. As it turned out, ATC had subsequently cleared us to 8000 ft and then 9000 ft for the short flight. I did not hear ATC give the altitude, and I did not hear the captain read the altitude back to the controller during the lengthy routing that was comprised of radials off of VOR's (not the expected route or altitude). The altitude bust would not have happened if I had been more assertive in doing my duties as the PF by having the PNF set the altitude pre-select and then briefing me on the route. Instead I tried to do part of his job thereby causing a break in the CRM loop. Supplemental information from acn 528612: got extremely complicated and long unexpected clearance for route (which has been flown hundreds of times before). Anxious to climb, we started up. PF (copilot, relatively low jet time) did not follow procedures. He set the altitude bug himself, against procedure and without advice to PNF. He set it to 8000 ft but our clearance was to maintain 7000 ft. PF needs to fly the airplane and follow SOP. PNF needs to keep constant watch of PF. Bay approach control needs to simplify routing of jets to sjc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ASTRA 1125 SPX OVERSHOOTS THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT DURING A PROGRAMMED CLB TO 8000 FT 5 NM SE OF LHM, CA.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST DEPARTED THE LINCOLN ARPT IN VMC CONDITIONS, AND MOMENTARILY LEVELED OFF AT 4500 FT MSL TO CLR SOME CLOUDS. I WAS THE PF, AND THE CAPT WAS THE PNF. THE CAPT CONTACTED ATC AND PICKED UP OUR IFR CLRNC TO THE SAN JOSE ARPT. THE CAPT WAS BUSY WRITING AND SAID TO ME, 'HEY, LET'S GET CLBING.' I RESELECTED THE ALT PRE-SELECT TO 8000 FT, AND BEGAN CLBING AT APPROX 5000 FPM. MOMENTS LATER THE CAPT LOOKED UP AND SAID, 'YOU JUST WENT THROUGH 7000 FT, AND ATC ONLY CLRED US TO 7000 FT.' BY THE TIME I COULD CORRECT, THE ACFT HAD BUSTED THE 7000 FT CLRNC BY 800 FT. FILING IFR, DEPARTING AN UNCTLED FIELD, AND PICKING UP THE CLRNC AFTER DEP POSES SOME EXTRA PROBS WHILE FLYING A HIGH PERFORMANCE JET. 1) THE SPD AT WHICH THE ACFT CAN ACHIEVE THE SET ALT. 2) THE POSSIBILITY THAT ATC COULD HAVE DELAYS. 3) UNEXPECTED ROUTING THAT CAUSES WAY TOO MUCH HEADS DOWN TIME REPROGRAMMING AN FMS, ETC. PRE-DEP, THE CAPT AND I HAD BRIEFED ON CLBING TO 8000 FT. AS IT TURNED OUT, ATC HAD SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED US TO 8000 FT AND THEN 9000 FT FOR THE SHORT FLT. I DID NOT HEAR ATC GIVE THE ALT, AND I DID NOT HEAR THE CAPT READ THE ALT BACK TO THE CTLR DURING THE LENGTHY ROUTING THAT WAS COMPRISED OF RADIALS OFF OF VOR'S (NOT THE EXPECTED RTE OR ALT). THE ALT BUST WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE IN DOING MY DUTIES AS THE PF BY HAVING THE PNF SET THE ALT PRE-SELECT AND THEN BRIEFING ME ON THE RTE. INSTEAD I TRIED TO DO PART OF HIS JOB THEREBY CAUSING A BREAK IN THE CRM LOOP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 528612: GOT EXTREMELY COMPLICATED AND LONG UNEXPECTED CLRNC FOR RTE (WHICH HAS BEEN FLOWN HUNDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE). ANXIOUS TO CLB, WE STARTED UP. PF (COPLT, RELATIVELY LOW JET TIME) DID NOT FOLLOW PROCS. HE SET THE ALT BUG HIMSELF, AGAINST PROC AND WITHOUT ADVICE TO PNF. HE SET IT TO 8000 FT BUT OUR CLRNC WAS TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT. PF NEEDS TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND FOLLOW SOP. PNF NEEDS TO KEEP CONSTANT WATCH OF PF. BAY APCH CTL NEEDS TO SIMPLIFY ROUTING OF JETS TO SJC.

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.