Narrative:

During climb out from baltimore washington international, ZDC gave us a vector of 220 degrees. We were climbing to an altitude of 17000 ft, and accelerating to 320 KIAS. Since I am an inexperienced first officer, I was hand-flying the aircraft. At approximately 16500 ft, ZDC cleared us direct to linden VOR, a heading of approximately 270 degrees. I began the right turn while the captain made the changes to the FMC to give us a direct course to linden VOR. As I approached 17000 ft, I leveled the aircraft, but evidently did not allow for the effects of the aircraft acceleration to 320 KIAS. I returned to my visual scan in the direction of the turn. Since we are not equipped with TCASII, I might have devoted too much attention to clearing visually. In addition, company policy requires that the PF verify all changes made to the FMC. I therefore devoted some time to looking across the cockpit to the captain's FMC to verify the direct routing entered into the FMC. The result was that I did not rechk my attitude indicator until I heard our aural altitude alerting system signal that I had climbed 200 ft above my level of altitude. While I took immediate steps to return the aircraft to 17000 ft, I had ballooned to 17400 ft before the descent began. At approximately 17300 ft, ZDC reiterated that we were to maintain 17000 ft. The captain apologized for the altitude deviation, and the rest of the flight was without further incident. I believe there were 3 things that led to this altitude incursion: 1) my inexperience as an first officer and in hand-flying heavy aircraft has led me to practice hand-flying to the maximum extent possible. Obviously, this means that I do not use the autoplt, which would have probably prevented this altitude deviation. As a result of hand-flying, I created a situation where there was a potential for task overload/mis-prioritization of tasks. 2) my attempt to accomplish multiple tasks -- turn, leveloff, accelerate, clear, and verify FMC information -- led to a brief moment where I mis-prioritized the tasks to be accomplished. 3) my failure to account for the acceleration effects on level flight accounted for the climb after initiating leveling off, and a slow instrument xchk -- due to accomplishing other tasks -- caused me not to pick up the altitude deviation sooner. While it would be easy to say that the key to solving altitude deviation problems is to always use the autoplt, that further removes the pfs from an active role in flying the aircraft. There will be time when the autoplt fails, and hand-flying will be required. So, I believe I need to become more comfortable with hand-flying the aircraft. However, I must ensure, that I follow the basics of flying: aviate, navigation, then communicate. Had I simply ensured a level turn until proceeding directly to linden VOR, then verified the FMC information, the incident probably would not have happened. I am truly sorry for the altitude deviation, but I was honestly trying to improve my pilot's skills by hand-flying the aircraft. I simply mis-prioritized tasks. In the future, I will ensure the PNF is providing active oversight by asking him to closely watch me when hand-flying the aircraft. And, when there are too many tasks to safely accomplish, I will use the autoplt. I am determined not to let this happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 FO DEPARTING BWI WHILE HAND-FLYING THE ACFT, DEVIATE FROM ASSIGNED ALT, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH TASK OVERLOAD.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM BALTIMORE WASHINGTON INTL, ZDC GAVE US A VECTOR OF 220 DEGS. WE WERE CLBING TO AN ALT OF 17000 FT, AND ACCELERATING TO 320 KIAS. SINCE I AM AN INEXPERIENCED FO, I WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. AT APPROX 16500 FT, ZDC CLRED US DIRECT TO LINDEN VOR, A HEADING OF APPROX 270 DEGS. I BEGAN THE R TURN WHILE THE CAPT MADE THE CHANGES TO THE FMC TO GIVE US A DIRECT COURSE TO LINDEN VOR. AS I APCHED 17000 FT, I LEVELED THE ACFT, BUT EVIDENTLY DID NOT ALLOW FOR THE EFFECTS OF THE ACFT ACCELERATION TO 320 KIAS. I RETURNED TO MY VISUAL SCAN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN. SINCE WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH TCASII, I MIGHT HAVE DEVOTED TOO MUCH ATTN TO CLRING VISUALLY. IN ADDITION, COMPANY POLICY REQUIRES THAT THE PF VERIFY ALL CHANGES MADE TO THE FMC. I THEREFORE DEVOTED SOME TIME TO LOOKING ACROSS THE COCKPIT TO THE CAPT'S FMC TO VERIFY THE DIRECT ROUTING ENTERED INTO THE FMC. THE RESULT WAS THAT I DID NOT RECHK MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR UNTIL I HEARD OUR AURAL ALT ALERTING SYS SIGNAL THAT I HAD CLBED 200 FT ABOVE MY LEVEL OF ALT. WHILE I TOOK IMMEDIATE STEPS TO RETURN THE ACFT TO 17000 FT, I HAD BALLOONED TO 17400 FT BEFORE THE DSCNT BEGAN. AT APPROX 17300 FT, ZDC REITERATED THAT WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 17000 FT. THE CAPT APOLOGIZED FOR THE ALTDEV, AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THERE WERE 3 THINGS THAT LED TO THIS ALT INCURSION: 1) MY INEXPERIENCE AS AN FO AND IN HAND-FLYING HVY ACFT HAS LED ME TO PRACTICE HAND-FLYING TO THE MAX EXTENT POSSIBLE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS MEANS THAT I DO NOT USE THE AUTOPLT, WHICH WOULD HAVE PROBABLY PREVENTED THIS ALTDEV. AS A RESULT OF HAND-FLYING, I CREATED A SIT WHERE THERE WAS A POTENTIAL FOR TASK OVERLOAD/MIS-PRIORITIZATION OF TASKS. 2) MY ATTEMPT TO ACCOMPLISH MULTIPLE TASKS -- TURN, LEVELOFF, ACCELERATE, CLR, AND VERIFY FMC INFO -- LED TO A BRIEF MOMENT WHERE I MIS-PRIORITIZED THE TASKS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. 3) MY FAILURE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ACCELERATION EFFECTS ON LEVEL FLT ACCOUNTED FOR THE CLB AFTER INITIATING LEVELING OFF, AND A SLOW INST XCHK -- DUE TO ACCOMPLISHING OTHER TASKS -- CAUSED ME NOT TO PICK UP THE ALTDEV SOONER. WHILE IT WOULD BE EASY TO SAY THAT THE KEY TO SOLVING ALTDEV PROBS IS TO ALWAYS USE THE AUTOPLT, THAT FURTHER REMOVES THE PFS FROM AN ACTIVE ROLE IN FLYING THE ACFT. THERE WILL BE TIME WHEN THE AUTOPLT FAILS, AND HAND-FLYING WILL BE REQUIRED. SO, I BELIEVE I NEED TO BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. HOWEVER, I MUST ENSURE, THAT I FOLLOW THE BASICS OF FLYING: AVIATE, NAV, THEN COMMUNICATE. HAD I SIMPLY ENSURED A LEVEL TURN UNTIL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO LINDEN VOR, THEN VERIFIED THE FMC INFO, THE INCIDENT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I AM TRULY SORRY FOR THE ALTDEV, BUT I WAS HONESTLY TRYING TO IMPROVE MY PLT'S SKILLS BY HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. I SIMPLY MIS-PRIORITIZED TASKS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ENSURE THE PNF IS PROVIDING ACTIVE OVERSIGHT BY ASKING HIM TO CLOSELY WATCH ME WHEN HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. AND, WHEN THERE ARE TOO MANY TASKS TO SAFELY ACCOMPLISH, I WILL USE THE AUTOPLT. I AM DETERMINED NOT TO LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.