Narrative:

Altitude deviation. Departed las from runway 19L on idale RNAV departure. Checked in with departure and received a 200 degree vector with climb to 11000 ft. Passing 7000 ft requested a turn to the west maintaining our own terrain clearance to expedite the departure (good WX/visibility, light traffic with terrain easily visible). Request approved by las departure via direct shead intersection, maintain 11000 ft. Entered shead into the FMC, began a turn to the west, and as luck would have it the only peak on the ridge line was along our flight path. The captain felt we would pass too close to that ridge and turned 30 degrees right/north of the direct course for a momentary deviation to ensure terrain clearance. No call was made to the controller due to the momentary nature of the deviation and we had not established the track to shead. Las controller became concerned and issued us direct shead again as we were in our turn direct shead. This was followed by a directed heading of 240 degrees, that we complied with. Las then gave us a traffic call of left 11 and 5 mi 200-3000 ft above our present climbing altitude. We both began searching for the traffic and called 'in sight.' this occurred as we approached our leveloff altitude of 11000 ft diverting our attention away from the leveloff. The captain was hand flying the departure so no automatic altitude capture was available. As we passed 11200 ft, I called out our deviation and an immediate correction was performed. We topped out at 11450 ft before descending back to 11000 ft. The previously reported traffic passed 3 NM in front of us at 12000 ft, with a TCASII TA alert. The controller asked us to confirm our altitude, which was now 11000 ft. We received a handoff to ZLA with no further comments. Lessons: 1) maintain situational awareness by all means available. 2) use of autoplt can aid when distraction. 3) inform the controller of all deviations. 4) if there is an obstacle anywhere between where you are and where you want to go, it will be along the course you are given. Supplemental information from acn 562986: make altitude awareness and control a top priority.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MODIFICATION OF THE IDALE RNAV 1 DEP AT LAS, NV, WITH A VECTOR FOLLOWED BY A PLT REQUESTED DIRECT SHEAD INTXN WITH PLT PROVIDED TERRAIN CLRNC ENDS WITH AN ALT OVERSHOOT CAUSING A TFC CONFLICT.

Narrative: ALTDEV. DEPARTED LAS FROM RWY 19L ON IDALE RNAV DEP. CHKED IN WITH DEP AND RECEIVED A 200 DEG VECTOR WITH CLB TO 11000 FT. PASSING 7000 FT REQUESTED A TURN TO THE W MAINTAINING OUR OWN TERRAIN CLRNC TO EXPEDITE THE DEP (GOOD WX/VISIBILITY, LIGHT TFC WITH TERRAIN EASILY VISIBLE). REQUEST APPROVED BY LAS DEP VIA DIRECT SHEAD INTXN, MAINTAIN 11000 FT. ENTERED SHEAD INTO THE FMC, BEGAN A TURN TO THE W, AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THE ONLY PEAK ON THE RIDGE LINE WAS ALONG OUR FLT PATH. THE CAPT FELT WE WOULD PASS TOO CLOSE TO THAT RIDGE AND TURNED 30 DEGS R/N OF THE DIRECT COURSE FOR A MOMENTARY DEV TO ENSURE TERRAIN CLRNC. NO CALL WAS MADE TO THE CTLR DUE TO THE MOMENTARY NATURE OF THE DEV AND WE HAD NOT ESTABLISHED THE TRACK TO SHEAD. LAS CTLR BECAME CONCERNED AND ISSUED US DIRECT SHEAD AGAIN AS WE WERE IN OUR TURN DIRECT SHEAD. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A DIRECTED HDG OF 240 DEGS, THAT WE COMPLIED WITH. LAS THEN GAVE US A TFC CALL OF L 11 AND 5 MI 200-3000 FT ABOVE OUR PRESENT CLBING ALT. WE BOTH BEGAN SEARCHING FOR THE TFC AND CALLED 'IN SIGHT.' THIS OCCURRED AS WE APCHED OUR LEVELOFF ALT OF 11000 FT DIVERTING OUR ATTN AWAY FROM THE LEVELOFF. THE CAPT WAS HAND FLYING THE DEP SO NO AUTO ALT CAPTURE WAS AVAILABLE. AS WE PASSED 11200 FT, I CALLED OUT OUR DEV AND AN IMMEDIATE CORRECTION WAS PERFORMED. WE TOPPED OUT AT 11450 FT BEFORE DSNDING BACK TO 11000 FT. THE PREVIOUSLY RPTED TFC PASSED 3 NM IN FRONT OF US AT 12000 FT, WITH A TCASII TA ALERT. THE CTLR ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ALT, WHICH WAS NOW 11000 FT. WE RECEIVED A HDOF TO ZLA WITH NO FURTHER COMMENTS. LESSONS: 1) MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS BY ALL MEANS AVAILABLE. 2) USE OF AUTOPLT CAN AID WHEN DISTR. 3) INFORM THE CTLR OF ALL DEVS. 4) IF THERE IS AN OBSTACLE ANYWHERE BTWN WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, IT WILL BE ALONG THE COURSE YOU ARE GIVEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 562986: MAKE ALT AWARENESS AND CTL A TOP PRIORITY.

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.