B737-700 crew was distracted by aircraft vibration, and had an altitude overshoot in czyz class east...

Attributes
ACN	560368
Time
Date	200209
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : buf.vortac
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czyz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czyz.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180
ASRS Report	560368
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	560581
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : altitude alert other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Altitude deviation. Going through 10000 ft, started accelerating to FMC recommended climb speed of 310 KTS. As we went through about 290-300 KTS I started feeling a vibration both in control column and rudders. At first I thought it might be a gear door, then I realized it might be a lco (limited cycle oscillation). I asked my first officer to feel controls to see if he felt the vibration. He felt the vibration so I began a more aggressive climb to slow the airspeed back to below 270 KTS. The vibration went away at about 280 KTS. We were assigned 17000 ft. We went through 16000 ft climbing about 5000 FPM. I must have had some pressure on the control trying to analyze our vibration problem consequently the autoplt did not capture the assigned altitude of 17000 ft. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and descended back down to 17000 ft. We had stopped at 18000 ft. There was no other aircraft around us and toronto cleared us up to 19000 ft before we got back down to 17000 ft. I was distracted with the vibration problem and missed the 'one-to-go' call my first officer made. We did not climb through any icing conditions. Supplemental information from acn 560581: during climb out of 10000 ft, captain noticed vibration in controls as we accelerated through 270 KIAS. We were cleared to 15000 ft. While in the climb to 15000 ft we were analyzing the vibration and subsequently cleared to 17000 ft which we both acknowledged. At 16000 ft we both called 'one to go' and returned our attention to the vibration which had now disappeared. At that time I noticed we had climbed to 17700 ft and still climbing, I called 'altitude.' captain acknowledged and corrected back to 17000 ft after reaching 18000 ft. Center controller then cleared us to FL190. Autoplt a was in use in cmd mode, but did not capture the altitude in the window. It probably did go into altitude acquire but was forced out due to the aft force to keep the airspeed slow. Both of us were slow to notice this due to the vibration distraction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW WAS DISTRACTED BY ACFT VIBRATION, AND HAD AN ALT OVERSHOOT IN CZYZ CLASS E.

Narrative: ALTDEV. GOING THROUGH 10000 FT, STARTED ACCELERATING TO FMC RECOMMENDED CLB SPD OF 310 KTS. AS WE WENT THROUGH ABOUT 290-300 KTS I STARTED FEELING A VIBRATION BOTH IN CTL COLUMN AND RUDDERS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A GEAR DOOR, THEN I REALIZED IT MIGHT BE A LCO (LIMITED CYCLE OSCILLATION). I ASKED MY FO TO FEEL CTLS TO SEE IF HE FELT THE VIBRATION. HE FELT THE VIBRATION SO I BEGAN A MORE AGGRESSIVE CLB TO SLOW THE AIRSPD BACK TO BELOW 270 KTS. THE VIBRATION WENT AWAY AT ABOUT 280 KTS. WE WERE ASSIGNED 17000 FT. WE WENT THROUGH 16000 FT CLBING ABOUT 5000 FPM. I MUST HAVE HAD SOME PRESSURE ON THE CTL TRYING TO ANALYZE OUR VIBRATION PROB CONSEQUENTLY THE AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 17000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 17000 FT. WE HAD STOPPED AT 18000 FT. THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT AROUND US AND TORONTO CLRED US UP TO 19000 FT BEFORE WE GOT BACK DOWN TO 17000 FT. I WAS DISTRACTED WITH THE VIBRATION PROB AND MISSED THE 'ONE-TO-GO' CALL MY FO MADE. WE DID NOT CLB THROUGH ANY ICING CONDITIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 560581: DURING CLB OUT OF 10000 FT, CAPT NOTICED VIBRATION IN CTLS AS WE ACCELERATED THROUGH 270 KIAS. WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT. WHILE IN THE CLB TO 15000 FT WE WERE ANALYZING THE VIBRATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO 17000 FT WHICH WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED. AT 16000 FT WE BOTH CALLED 'ONE TO GO' AND RETURNED OUR ATTN TO THE VIBRATION WHICH HAD NOW DISAPPEARED. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED WE HAD CLBED TO 17700 FT AND STILL CLBING, I CALLED 'ALT.' CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED AND CORRECTED BACK TO 17000 FT AFTER REACHING 18000 FT. CTR CTLR THEN CLEARED US TO FL190. AUTOPLT A WAS IN USE IN CMD MODE, BUT DID NOT CAPTURE THE ALT IN THE WINDOW. IT PROBABLY DID GO INTO ALT ACQUIRE BUT WAS FORCED OUT DUE TO THE AFT FORCE TO KEEP THE AIRSPD SLOW. BOTH OF US WERE SLOW TO NOTICE THIS DUE TO THE VIBRATION DISTR.

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.