Narrative:

During climb out on the shead 4 SID from runway 19L at las; I was given a clearance that set up this scenario that evolved into a very serious altitude deviation. Things were happening at a very fast pace and my recollections are as follows: at approximately 5000 ft MSL; I was able to contact las departure as the frequency was busy; as usual. The controller came back and said 'climb to FL190' and then added 'comply with restrs.' by the time she said 'comply with restrs;' I had already set in FL190 on the altitude preselector. When given a new altitude to climb to; pilots will enter this new altitude in the altitude preselector as quickly as possible to preclude a rapidly climbing aircraft from starting a leveloff on the autoplt. Since I was climbing very rapidly with an initial assigned altitude of 7000 ft; I had been very quick to enter the FL190 in the altitude preselector to preclude an unnecessary leveloff. When the controller then added 'comply with restrs;' I was completely caught off guard as to her meaning. I initially did not understand what type of restrs she was referring to. I have flown out of las for many yrs and never received this phraseology during the climb out. Since the altitude preselector was now set on FL190; the aircraft obviously would not level off at 7000 ft and continued its climb. By the time I was able to glimpse the SID chart and review the chart restrs; I was through 7000 ft and climbing. Very quickly after my initial glance at the chart to figure out what type of 'restrs' she was referring to; I received a TA on the TCAS and was then required to pay attention to the TCAS. I don't remember what the relative altitude reading was on the TCAS; but it didn't seem that close; so I made the assumption that it was probably due to my rapid rate of climb that gave a closure rate alert. At this same time the controller called me and alluded to the fact that I should still be at 7000 ft. With the amount of activity going on in my cockpit at this point; I turned the autoplt off and started descending out of 8200 ft back to 7000 ft and trying not to put my passenger into the ceiling since I was climbing at close to 3500 FPM. By the time I got back to 7000 ft; manually flying the aircraft; I had just passed a fix that required a climb to a higher altitude. At this point; I was way behind the aircraft and the SID and desperately trying to catch up with the 'comply with restrs' and the aircraft effectively back on the autoplt so I could then review any further restrs on altitude and comply.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CITATION ENCORE PLT HAS AN ALTDEV DURING CLB ON PUBLISHED SID.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT ON THE SHEAD 4 SID FROM RWY 19L AT LAS; I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC THAT SET UP THIS SCENARIO THAT EVOLVED INTO A VERY SERIOUS ALTDEV. THINGS WERE HAPPENING AT A VERY FAST PACE AND MY RECOLLECTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL; I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT LAS DEP AS THE FREQ WAS BUSY; AS USUAL. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID 'CLB TO FL190' AND THEN ADDED 'COMPLY WITH RESTRS.' BY THE TIME SHE SAID 'COMPLY WITH RESTRS;' I HAD ALREADY SET IN FL190 ON THE ALT PRESELECTOR. WHEN GIVEN A NEW ALT TO CLB TO; PLTS WILL ENTER THIS NEW ALT IN THE ALT PRESELECTOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO PRECLUDE A RAPIDLY CLBING ACFT FROM STARTING A LEVELOFF ON THE AUTOPLT. SINCE I WAS CLBING VERY RAPIDLY WITH AN INITIAL ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT; I HAD BEEN VERY QUICK TO ENTER THE FL190 IN THE ALT PRESELECTOR TO PRECLUDE AN UNNECESSARY LEVELOFF. WHEN THE CTLR THEN ADDED 'COMPLY WITH RESTRS;' I WAS COMPLETELY CAUGHT OFF GUARD AS TO HER MEANING. I INITIALLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPE OF RESTRS SHE WAS REFERRING TO. I HAVE FLOWN OUT OF LAS FOR MANY YRS AND NEVER RECEIVED THIS PHRASEOLOGY DURING THE CLBOUT. SINCE THE ALT PRESELECTOR WAS NOW SET ON FL190; THE ACFT OBVIOUSLY WOULD NOT LEVEL OFF AT 7000 FT AND CONTINUED ITS CLB. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO GLIMPSE THE SID CHART AND REVIEW THE CHART RESTRS; I WAS THROUGH 7000 FT AND CLBING. VERY QUICKLY AFTER MY INITIAL GLANCE AT THE CHART TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF 'RESTRS' SHE WAS REFERRING TO; I RECEIVED A TA ON THE TCAS AND WAS THEN REQUIRED TO PAY ATTN TO THE TCAS. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE RELATIVE ALT READING WAS ON THE TCAS; BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT CLOSE; SO I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO MY RAPID RATE OF CLB THAT GAVE A CLOSURE RATE ALERT. AT THIS SAME TIME THE CTLR CALLED ME AND ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT I SHOULD STILL BE AT 7000 FT. WITH THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY GOING ON IN MY COCKPIT AT THIS POINT; I TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND STARTED DSNDING OUT OF 8200 FT BACK TO 7000 FT AND TRYING NOT TO PUT MY PAX INTO THE CEILING SINCE I WAS CLBING AT CLOSE TO 3500 FPM. BY THE TIME I GOT BACK TO 7000 FT; MANUALLY FLYING THE ACFT; I HAD JUST PASSED A FIX THAT REQUIRED A CLB TO A HIGHER ALT. AT THIS POINT; I WAS WAY BEHIND THE ACFT AND THE SID AND DESPERATELY TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE 'COMPLY WITH RESTRS' AND THE ACFT EFFECTIVELY BACK ON THE AUTOPLT SO I COULD THEN REVIEW ANY FURTHER RESTRS ON ALT AND COMPLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.