Narrative:

I was filed IFR from ojc to dsm. Off of ojc I was assigned a heading to the northeast and an altitude of 3000 ft. I turned on heading and dialed 3000 ft in the altitude preselect. Conditions were VMC and my scan included visual outside of the cockpit for other traffic. Inside the aircraft I was referencing the command bars of the flight director. In this airplane altitude preselect is not automatically armed when you dial an altitude in the preselector. This is relevant, because our company has another king air that does arm the altitude preselect when you set an altitude in the preselector. Also I had just returned from flight safety and the simulator also automatically armed altitude select when you changed the altitude in the preselector. Therefore, I feel the 2 main contributing factors in this situation were: 1) I was using the command bars of the flight director as my reference, as well as my visual scan outside the aircraft, and 2) I did not have the command bars armed properly. Due to my inability to recognize this (because of presumption) they were not giving me relevant information. I discovered the problem when I thought (gee, I should be at 3000 ft by now). I wasn't, I was at 3700 ft. I leveled off and was about to start descending when I was cleared to 4000 ft. The human factors involved wre poor instrument scan and relying on one instrument for all of my information. The inaction of checking that the instrument I was relying on was set up properly. Largely due to assumption and habits formed from flying a similar aircraft. Corrective action on my part has been not to rely on fancy avionics and become sloppy, and also retraining on the avionics in this aircraft. When pilots are flying more than 1 airplane, they must be very cognizant of the differences -- especially the ever changing and more complex avionics.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE9L PLT, DEPARTING OJC, OVERSHOT HIS ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS FILED IFR FROM OJC TO DSM. OFF OF OJC I WAS ASSIGNED A HDG TO THE NE AND AN ALT OF 3000 FT. I TURNED ON HDG AND DIALED 3000 FT IN THE ALT PRESELECT. CONDITIONS WERE VMC AND MY SCAN INCLUDED VISUAL OUTSIDE OF THE COCKPIT FOR OTHER TFC. INSIDE THE ACFT I WAS REFING THE COMMAND BARS OF THE FLT DIRECTOR. IN THIS AIRPLANE ALT PRESELECT IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY ARMED WHEN YOU DIAL AN ALT IN THE PRESELECTOR. THIS IS RELEVANT, BECAUSE OUR COMPANY HAS ANOTHER KING AIR THAT DOES ARM THE ALT PRESELECT WHEN YOU SET AN ALT IN THE PRESELECTOR. ALSO I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM FLT SAFETY AND THE SIMULATOR ALSO AUTOMATICALLY ARMED ALT SELECT WHEN YOU CHANGED THE ALT IN THE PRESELECTOR. THEREFORE, I FEEL THE 2 MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS SIT WERE: 1) I WAS USING THE COMMAND BARS OF THE FLT DIRECTOR AS MY REF, AS WELL AS MY VISUAL SCAN OUTSIDE THE ACFT, AND 2) I DID NOT HAVE THE COMMAND BARS ARMED PROPERLY. DUE TO MY INABILITY TO RECOGNIZE THIS (BECAUSE OF PRESUMPTION) THEY WERE NOT GIVING ME RELEVANT INFO. I DISCOVERED THE PROB WHEN I THOUGHT (GEE, I SHOULD BE AT 3000 FT BY NOW). I WASN'T, I WAS AT 3700 FT. I LEVELED OFF AND WAS ABOUT TO START DSNDING WHEN I WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT. THE HUMAN FACTORS INVOLVED WRE POOR INST SCAN AND RELYING ON ONE INST FOR ALL OF MY INFO. THE INACTION OF CHKING THAT THE INST I WAS RELYING ON WAS SET UP PROPERLY. LARGELY DUE TO ASSUMPTION AND HABITS FORMED FROM FLYING A SIMILAR ACFT. CORRECTIVE ACTION ON MY PART HAS BEEN NOT TO RELY ON FANCY AVIONICS AND BECOME SLOPPY, AND ALSO RETRAINING ON THE AVIONICS IN THIS ACFT. WHEN PLTS ARE FLYING MORE THAN 1 AIRPLANE, THEY MUST BE VERY COGNIZANT OF THE DIFFERENCES -- ESPECIALLY THE EVER CHANGING AND MORE COMPLEX AVIONICS.

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.