Gulfstream giv flight crew has an altitude excursion during the CNOG8.vny departure.

Attributes
ACN	704847
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : vny.vor
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1700 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Gulfstream IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : cnog.8
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 14550 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	704847
Person 2
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The vny canoga 8 departure procedures state to cross the 2.2 vny DME on a departure heading of 160 degrees at 1700 ft MSL and then climb to the assigned altitude (4000 ft in our case). Vny field elevation is 800 ft; so we are climb restr at 900 ft AGL until reaching that point. I was the PNF sitting in the left seat. The PF was in his upgrade to captain phase and probably had less than 75 hours in the g-iv. On departure; we were climbing and planning to level off at 1700 ft MSL or more precisely; not to climb above 1700 ft until permitted to do so by the departure procedure. During the initial climb; before reaching 1700 ft the PF stated that the pitch trim was not working. I glanced down to make sure the trim was turned on. It was; and so stated to the PF. At 1500 ft I called out '200 ft to go.' we were fast closing in on 1700 ft and the PF was still complaining about the trim not working. We were climbing at a normal attitude and my attention was drawn to the trim and I was concerned if the PF could handle the airplane. My concern was really not just an inoperative trim but a runaway trim. I saw the manual trim wheel move when he was using the electric pitch trim switch; so the trim seemed to me to be working correctly. The altitude alerter went off at 2000 ft. We had not yet set the alerter from 1700 ft to 4000 ft. I glanced down at the DME from vny VOR and it said we were at 3.0 DME; .8 DME past our climb restr point. I asked the PF if we had crossed the 2.2 DME point at or below 1700 ft. He said that we had. We probably did; but he was busy trying to fly the airplane with what he thought was an inoperative pitch trim; complaining about the trim; and generally making a lot of noise that I wonder if he was really monitoring the altitude as he should have been; and as I should have been. He had drawn me into this 'trim-not-working' drama and my attention was diverted. Socal approach said nothing about our altitude. We continued our climb and then we were given a series of altitude and heading changes. It was a very busy period.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GULFSTREAM GIV FLT CREW HAS AN ALT EXCURSION DURING THE CNOG8.VNY DEP.

Narrative: THE VNY CANOGA 8 DEP PROCS STATE TO CROSS THE 2.2 VNY DME ON A DEP HDG OF 160 DEGS AT 1700 FT MSL AND THEN CLB TO THE ASSIGNED ALT (4000 FT IN OUR CASE). VNY FIELD ELEVATION IS 800 FT; SO WE ARE CLB RESTR AT 900 FT AGL UNTIL REACHING THAT POINT. I WAS THE PNF SITTING IN THE L SEAT. THE PF WAS IN HIS UPGRADE TO CAPT PHASE AND PROBABLY HAD LESS THAN 75 HRS IN THE G-IV. ON DEP; WE WERE CLBING AND PLANNING TO LEVEL OFF AT 1700 FT MSL OR MORE PRECISELY; NOT TO CLB ABOVE 1700 FT UNTIL PERMITTED TO DO SO BY THE DEP PROC. DURING THE INITIAL CLB; BEFORE REACHING 1700 FT THE PF STATED THAT THE PITCH TRIM WAS NOT WORKING. I GLANCED DOWN TO MAKE SURE THE TRIM WAS TURNED ON. IT WAS; AND SO STATED TO THE PF. AT 1500 FT I CALLED OUT '200 FT TO GO.' WE WERE FAST CLOSING IN ON 1700 FT AND THE PF WAS STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRIM NOT WORKING. WE WERE CLBING AT A NORMAL ATTITUDE AND MY ATTN WAS DRAWN TO THE TRIM AND I WAS CONCERNED IF THE PF COULD HANDLE THE AIRPLANE. MY CONCERN WAS REALLY NOT JUST AN INOP TRIM BUT A RUNAWAY TRIM. I SAW THE MANUAL TRIM WHEEL MOVE WHEN HE WAS USING THE ELECTRIC PITCH TRIM SWITCH; SO THE TRIM SEEMED TO ME TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. THE ALT ALERTER WENT OFF AT 2000 FT. WE HAD NOT YET SET THE ALERTER FROM 1700 FT TO 4000 FT. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE DME FROM VNY VOR AND IT SAID WE WERE AT 3.0 DME; .8 DME PAST OUR CLB RESTR POINT. I ASKED THE PF IF WE HAD CROSSED THE 2.2 DME POINT AT OR BELOW 1700 FT. HE SAID THAT WE HAD. WE PROBABLY DID; BUT HE WAS BUSY TRYING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WITH WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AN INOP PITCH TRIM; COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRIM; AND GENERALLY MAKING A LOT OF NOISE THAT I WONDER IF HE WAS REALLY MONITORING THE ALT AS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN; AND AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. HE HAD DRAWN ME INTO THIS 'TRIM-NOT-WORKING' DRAMA AND MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED. SOCAL APCH SAID NOTHING ABOUT OUR ALT. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB AND THEN WE WERE GIVEN A SERIES OF ALT AND HDG CHANGES. IT WAS A VERY BUSY PERIOD.

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.