Narrative:

First officer was flying. About 60 NM southwest of sac on vector, speed restr to 270 KTS and cleared to altitude of 10000 ft. Approaching 9000 ft, acknowledged 1000 ft to go per company SOP. First officer was temporarily distraction reaching 10000 ft and overshot cleared altitude by approximately 200 by several seconds before returning to 10000 ft. Altitude alert sounded at 10200 ft. Supplemental information from acn 605393: we received a clearance from norcal departure to climb to and maintain 10000 ft. The first officer was hand flying the aircraft. Approaching 10000 ft, ATC gave us a speed restr not to exceed 270 KTS which I set in the MCP. At approximately 9800 ft, I noticed that we were still climbing at approximately 2000 FPM. I said to the flying first officer, 'you're cleared to 10000 ft.' at approximately 9900 ft, there was no acknowledgement from the first officer and we were still climbing at 2000 FPM. I said '10000 ft' and made a motion with my hand to level off. As the aircraft passed through 10000 ft, both the relief pilot and myself said 'level off!' the sense of urgency in our voices as well as the warning from the altitude alert system caused the flying first officer to immediately respond and return the aircraft to the cleared altitude. The first officer stated that she was focused on the last speed restr assigned by ATC rather than the rapidly approaching cleared altitude. I had thought that just the mention of the altitude assignment would have been sufficient for the first officer to re-focus attention on altitude awareness. The first officer had not been in a flying seat for over 2 months. This, in combination with the distraction of the ATC speed restr clearance, were probably the most obvious factors in her failure to acknowledge or respond to my first 2 verbal communications.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CAPT AND RELIEF PLT ALERT FO TO ALT OVERSHOOT ON CLBOUT FROM SFO AS FO ALLEGES FOCUS ON DEP CTLR AMENDED SPD CLRNC RESTR.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING. ABOUT 60 NM SW OF SAC ON VECTOR, SPD RESTR TO 270 KTS AND CLRED TO ALT OF 10000 FT. APCHING 9000 FT, ACKNOWLEDGED 1000 FT TO GO PER COMPANY SOP. FO WAS TEMPORARILY DISTR REACHING 10000 FT AND OVERSHOT CLRED ALT BY APPROX 200 BY SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE RETURNING TO 10000 FT. ALT ALERT SOUNDED AT 10200 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605393: WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM NORCAL DEP TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. APCHING 10000 FT, ATC GAVE US A SPD RESTR NOT TO EXCEED 270 KTS WHICH I SET IN THE MCP. AT APPROX 9800 FT, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE STILL CLBING AT APPROX 2000 FPM. I SAID TO THE FLYING FO, 'YOU'RE CLRED TO 10000 FT.' AT APPROX 9900 FT, THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE FO AND WE WERE STILL CLBING AT 2000 FPM. I SAID '10000 FT' AND MADE A MOTION WITH MY HAND TO LEVEL OFF. AS THE ACFT PASSED THROUGH 10000 FT, BOTH THE RELIEF PLT AND MYSELF SAID 'LEVEL OFF!' THE SENSE OF URGENCY IN OUR VOICES AS WELL AS THE WARNING FROM THE ALT ALERT SYS CAUSED THE FLYING FO TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND AND RETURN THE ACFT TO THE CLRED ALT. THE FO STATED THAT SHE WAS FOCUSED ON THE LAST SPD RESTR ASSIGNED BY ATC RATHER THAN THE RAPIDLY APCHING CLRED ALT. I HAD THOUGHT THAT JUST THE MENTION OF THE ALT ASSIGNMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT FOR THE FO TO RE-FOCUS ATTN ON ALT AWARENESS. THE FO HAD NOT BEEN IN A FLYING SEAT FOR OVER 2 MONTHS. THIS, IN COMBINATION WITH THE DISTR OF THE ATC SPD RESTR CLRNC, WERE PROBABLY THE MOST OBVIOUS FACTORS IN HER FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR RESPOND TO MY FIRST 2 VERBAL COMS.

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.