Narrative:

First officer as PF briefed leg. She included only basic takeoff information. Captain then briefed the PRADO6.trm essential information for altitude restrs. I reminded her that she would have to do the pdz 6 DME at/below 4000 ft point, level off manually herself. FCU altitude 7000 ft was set for the ATC clearance. Upon takeoff, we climbed (autoplt on) to 1000 ft afe (2 SM visibility) and as we turned, were cleared direct pdz, maintain 7000 ft. The first officer did this and believed we were no longer on the SID so kept climbing. Not realizing, she thought we were off the SID, I called 3000 ft for 4000 ft and asked if she would be doing the leveloff at 4000 ft. Looking for traffic and at 3900 ft, realized she was not going to level off at 4000 ft. I took the aircraft (turned autoplt off) and leveled by 4300 ft and returned it to 4000 ft. However, in the descent to 4000 ft, speed increased to 280 KTS by the time I had disconnected the autothrottle to slow the aircraft. The first officer was unsure of position on the SID, so I flew aircraft until she reoriented herself and then gave it back to her. Later, during the climb out, she admitted she had heard my brief on the 4000 ft, but mistook the point as the werle intersection. Also, she did not think we were on the SID after the turn anyway. The first officer was unfamiliar with procedure. In the end, she believed that direct to pdz waived the 4000 ft. No. The pdz 6 DME at or below 4000 ft is an arc distance altitude and any radial to pdz still has the 6 DME and 4000 ft requirement. The airbus uses a pseudo waypoint and cannot manage this as an altitude. Set 4000 ft. Our policy is to set FCU altitude to the clearance limit. We should revisit this and/or put notes about altitude on the ont or just set (brief it) the FCU to 4000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WITH THE FO FLYING, FAIL TO LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT AS PUBLISHED ON THE DEP FROM ONT. WHILE THE CAPT TOOK OVER AND DSNDED TO ASSIGNED ALT, THE ACFT EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT.

Narrative: FO AS PF BRIEFED LEG. SHE INCLUDED ONLY BASIC TKOF INFO. CAPT THEN BRIEFED THE PRADO6.TRM ESSENTIAL INFO FOR ALT RESTRS. I REMINDED HER THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO DO THE PDZ 6 DME AT/BELOW 4000 FT POINT, LEVEL OFF MANUALLY HERSELF. FCU ALT 7000 FT WAS SET FOR THE ATC CLRNC. UPON TKOF, WE CLBED (AUTOPLT ON) TO 1000 FT AFE (2 SM VISIBILITY) AND AS WE TURNED, WERE CLRED DIRECT PDZ, MAINTAIN 7000 FT. THE FO DID THIS AND BELIEVED WE WERE NO LONGER ON THE SID SO KEPT CLBING. NOT REALIZING, SHE THOUGHT WE WERE OFF THE SID, I CALLED 3000 FT FOR 4000 FT AND ASKED IF SHE WOULD BE DOING THE LEVELOFF AT 4000 FT. LOOKING FOR TFC AND AT 3900 FT, REALIZED SHE WAS NOT GOING TO LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT. I TOOK THE ACFT (TURNED AUTOPLT OFF) AND LEVELED BY 4300 FT AND RETURNED IT TO 4000 FT. HOWEVER, IN THE DSCNT TO 4000 FT, SPD INCREASED TO 280 KTS BY THE TIME I HAD DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLE TO SLOW THE ACFT. THE FO WAS UNSURE OF POS ON THE SID, SO I FLEW ACFT UNTIL SHE REORIENTED HERSELF AND THEN GAVE IT BACK TO HER. LATER, DURING THE CLBOUT, SHE ADMITTED SHE HAD HEARD MY BRIEF ON THE 4000 FT, BUT MISTOOK THE POINT AS THE WERLE INTXN. ALSO, SHE DID NOT THINK WE WERE ON THE SID AFTER THE TURN ANYWAY. THE FO WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH PROC. IN THE END, SHE BELIEVED THAT DIRECT TO PDZ WAIVED THE 4000 FT. NO. THE PDZ 6 DME AT OR BELOW 4000 FT IS AN ARC DISTANCE ALT AND ANY RADIAL TO PDZ STILL HAS THE 6 DME AND 4000 FT REQUIREMENT. THE AIRBUS USES A PSEUDO WAYPOINT AND CANNOT MANAGE THIS AS AN ALT. SET 4000 FT. OUR POLICY IS TO SET FCU ALT TO THE CLRNC LIMIT. WE SHOULD REVISIT THIS AND/OR PUT NOTES ABOUT ALT ON THE ONT OR JUST SET (BRIEF IT) THE FCU TO 4000 FT.

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.