Narrative:

Approach control turned us on high to the ILS runway 1 at dca. They asked if we could get down in time and I said I'd try. We were not going to make it even with our best efforts. They told us to cancel the approach; maintain 2500 ft and turn left. We were just descending through 2500 ft; went a bit lower and then came back up. (This put us in between 2 of our go around procedures at our airline.) to reset the computers to set up for the next approach we are supposed to go to toga power and then right back to normal; if we are supposed to climb. We did this but the climb was so abrupt that the aircraft climbed 200-300 ft. By the time we disconnected the autoplt to level off; we leveled off at approximately 2900 ft. I told ATC we were at 3000 ft and he said that was ok. We did bust our altitude by 500 ft. I was the captain and had less than 50 hours in the aircraft since the end of training (including oe) and the first officer had about 100 hours total in the aircraft. Being both new on the aircraft attributed to this event as well as this go around procedure only being briefly reviewed in my training and not at all during the first officer's training to his best recollection. Even our training department acknowledges the need to cover this more thoroughly; when I talked to them. Next time I'll use the non-climbing go around procedure even if I'm only a couple of hundred ft below the go around altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURNED ONTO THE APCH EARLY; A320 FLT CREW ATTEMPTS TO DESCEND RAPIDLY TO PROFILE; BUT MUST GAR. LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH FMS RESULTS IN ALT DEVIATION DURING THE GAR.

Narrative: APCH CTL TURNED US ON HIGH TO THE ILS RWY 1 AT DCA. THEY ASKED IF WE COULD GET DOWN IN TIME AND I SAID I'D TRY. WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT EVEN WITH OUR BEST EFFORTS. THEY TOLD US TO CANCEL THE APCH; MAINTAIN 2500 FT AND TURN L. WE WERE JUST DSNDING THROUGH 2500 FT; WENT A BIT LOWER AND THEN CAME BACK UP. (THIS PUT US IN BTWN 2 OF OUR GAR PROCS AT OUR AIRLINE.) TO RESET THE COMPUTERS TO SET UP FOR THE NEXT APCH WE ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TO TOGA PWR AND THEN RIGHT BACK TO NORMAL; IF WE ARE SUPPOSED TO CLB. WE DID THIS BUT THE CLB WAS SO ABRUPT THAT THE ACFT CLBED 200-300 FT. BY THE TIME WE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT TO LEVEL OFF; WE LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 2900 FT. I TOLD ATC WE WERE AT 3000 FT AND HE SAID THAT WAS OK. WE DID BUST OUR ALT BY 500 FT. I WAS THE CAPT AND HAD LESS THAN 50 HRS IN THE ACFT SINCE THE END OF TRAINING (INCLUDING OE) AND THE FO HAD ABOUT 100 HRS TOTAL IN THE ACFT. BEING BOTH NEW ON THE ACFT ATTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT AS WELL AS THIS GAR PROC ONLY BEING BRIEFLY REVIEWED IN MY TRAINING AND NOT AT ALL DURING THE FO'S TRAINING TO HIS BEST RECOLLECTION. EVEN OUR TRAINING DEPT ACKNOWLEDGES THE NEED TO COVER THIS MORE THOROUGHLY; WHEN I TALKED TO THEM. NEXT TIME I'LL USE THE NON-CLBING GAR PROC EVEN IF I'M ONLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT BELOW THE GAR ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.