B727 captain, giving IOE to the first officer, had an altitude deviation after the IOE captain was d...

Attributes
ACN	599922
Time
Date	200311
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3200 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain instruction : instructor observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8980 flight time type : 5600
ASRS Report	599922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Company FAA Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I am an instructor pilot (check airman) on the B727. I was giving IOE to a student first officer who had just 3 lndgs in the aircraft. After switching to departure frequency, and while accelerating, ATC assigned a heading change and a new altitude assignment while in actual IFR with student flying. During the turn, a very strong burning odor became noticeable in the cockpit. After the first officer had rolled wings level on the new heading, I diverted my attention away from the flying to work with the so in attempting to identify the source of the odor. There were no smoke or fire indications anywhere, and within a min or so, the odor had disappeared. I rejoined the first officer around 3000 ft MSL and realized the altitude alerter was set to 5000 ft, the SID altitude. I knew a different altitude had been assigned and thought it was 11000 ft, but was unsure. I called ATC and requested confirmation, but ATC was busy and replied 'standby.' I do not recall if the 'standby' was on my first call, but I attempted to get a confirmation at least 3-4 times before reaching 5000 ft. After receiving the 'standby' the controller issued numerous clrncs to other aircraft. Meanwhile, we leveled the aircraft at 5000 ft while he issued other aircraft clrncs. We were level 1-2 mins (estimate) at which point we got our confirmation and we started a climb. The controller changed our heading and that of another aircraft. Although we didn't see anything on TCASII. The controller gave us a tongue lashing that was very bit as unprofessional as my failure to reset the altitude alerter. I should not have allowed my attention to have been diverted during the acceleration/heading change/altitude change portion of the flight by anything. By the same token, the controller could have released the importance of an altitude confirmation and prioritized it accordingly. The controller seemed to be more interested in giving us a hard time, rather than fix the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CAPT, GIVING IOE TO THE FO, HAD AN ALTDEV AFTER THE IOE CAPT WAS DISTR A VERY STRONG BURNING ODOR IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: I AM AN INSTRUCTOR PLT (CHK AIRMAN) ON THE B727. I WAS GIVING IOE TO A STUDENT FO WHO HAD JUST 3 LNDGS IN THE ACFT. AFTER SWITCHING TO DEP FREQ, AND WHILE ACCELERATING, ATC ASSIGNED A HEADING CHANGE AND A NEW ALT ASSIGNMENT WHILE IN ACTUAL IFR WITH STUDENT FLYING. DURING THE TURN, A VERY STRONG BURNING ODOR BECAME NOTICEABLE IN THE COCKPIT. AFTER THE FO HAD ROLLED WINGS LEVEL ON THE NEW HEADING, I DIVERTED MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE FLYING TO WORK WITH THE SO IN ATTEMPTING TO IDENT THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR. THERE WERE NO SMOKE OR FIRE INDICATIONS ANYWHERE, AND WITHIN A MIN OR SO, THE ODOR HAD DISAPPEARED. I REJOINED THE FO AROUND 3000 FT MSL AND REALIZED THE ALT ALERTER WAS SET TO 5000 FT, THE SID ALT. I KNEW A DIFFERENT ALT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AND THOUGHT IT WAS 11000 FT, BUT WAS UNSURE. I CALLED ATC AND REQUESTED CONFIRMATION, BUT ATC WAS BUSY AND REPLIED 'STANDBY.' I DO NOT RECALL IF THE 'STANDBY' WAS ON MY FIRST CALL, BUT I ATTEMPTED TO GET A CONFIRMATION AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES BEFORE REACHING 5000 FT. AFTER RECEIVING THE 'STANDBY' THE CTLR ISSUED NUMEROUS CLRNCS TO OTHER ACFT. MEANWHILE, WE LEVELED THE ACFT AT 5000 FT WHILE HE ISSUED OTHER ACFT CLRNCS. WE WERE LEVEL 1-2 MINS (ESTIMATE) AT WHICH POINT WE GOT OUR CONFIRMATION AND WE STARTED A CLB. THE CTLR CHANGED OUR HEADING AND THAT OF ANOTHER ACFT. ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON TCASII. THE CTLR GAVE US A TONGUE LASHING THAT WAS VERY BIT AS UNPROFESSIONAL AS MY FAILURE TO RESET THE ALT ALERTER. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MY ATTN TO HAVE BEEN DIVERTED DURING THE ACCELERATION/HEADING CHANGE/ALT CHANGE PORTION OF THE FLT BY ANYTHING. BY THE SAME TOKEN, THE CTLR COULD HAVE RELEASED THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ALT CONFIRMATION AND PRIORITIZED IT ACCORDINGLY. THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN GIVING US A HARD TIME, RATHER THAN FIX THE PROB.

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.

B727 captain, giving IOE to the first officer, had an altitude deviation after the IOE captain was distraction a very strong burning odor in the cockpit.