A flight crew experiences an FMS malfunction resulting in an overshoot of the assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	583707
Time
Date	200306
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yip.airport
State Reference	MI
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	583707
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During departure climb out in IMC conditions, had a TCASII and #1 FMS fail (position error). Had to reinitialize in order to restore TCASII. Had received several heading and altitude and speed changes from ATC. Missed the 1000 ft to go call and overshot leveloff altitude by 320-340 ft. Rapid correction made as soon as altitude alerter activated. (Both pilots are high time and have flown numerous aircraft.) I allowed myself to be distracted by the relatively minor system failure and did not properly fly the aircraft. Somewhere during all this activity the altitude armed function of the autoplt flight director system had been tripped off and was not caught by either pilot until we were through leveloff altitude and then recovery took another +/-100 ft. This event reminds us once again to not be distracted from our primary duty, fly the airplane!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW EXPERIENCES AN FMS MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN AN OVERSHOOT OF THE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: DURING DEP CLBOUT IN IMC CONDITIONS, HAD A TCASII AND #1 FMS FAIL (POS ERROR). HAD TO REINITIALIZE IN ORDER TO RESTORE TCASII. HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL HEADING AND ALT AND SPD CHANGES FROM ATC. MISSED THE 1000 FT TO GO CALL AND OVERSHOT LEVELOFF ALT BY 320-340 FT. RAPID CORRECTION MADE AS SOON AS ALT ALERTER ACTIVATED. (BOTH PLTS ARE HIGH TIME AND HAVE FLOWN NUMEROUS ACFT.) I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED BY THE RELATIVELY MINOR SYS FAILURE AND DID NOT PROPERLY FLY THE ACFT. SOMEWHERE DURING ALL THIS ACTIVITY THE ALT ARMED FUNCTION OF THE AUTOPLT FLT DIRECTOR SYS HAD BEEN TRIPPED OFF AND WAS NOT CAUGHT BY EITHER PLT UNTIL WE WERE THROUGH LEVELOFF ALT AND THEN RECOVERY TOOK ANOTHER +/-100 FT. THIS EVENT REMINDS US ONCE AGAIN TO NOT BE DISTRACTED FROM OUR PRIMARY DUTY, FLY THE AIRPLANE!

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.