Narrative:

Departed ewr on port jervis 9 departure. Received clearance to 3000', then a left turn to (I think) 300 degrees and a climb to 4000'. We had climb thrust set. I was completing the turn when my first officer called 'altitude.' we were climbing rapidly through 4500'. I immediately reduced thrust and nosed over to descended to 4000'. Departure caught the bust and gave us clearance to 6000'. By this time we were almost level at 4000', but we added climb power. By now, the controller could read our altitude and he cancelled the climb clearance. Now we were on heading, on all but our speed was increasing through 280 KTS. I reduced power and used speed brakes to slow to 250 KTS as rapidly as possible. The whole sequence was pilot error. I was way behind the airplane, but why? Some contributing factors could be: I'm new on the airplane after 8 yrs on the large transport. During the less than 90 days I've been flying this airplane I have had 2 vacations (1 involuntary) and was just coming off the second. The airplane was relatively light and has a very high thrust to weight ratio for a transport. It has a glass cockpit and state of the art electronics, but some of the magic stuff wasn't working, eg, autothrottles inoperative, EPR gauge inoperative (set thrust by matching N1's), vertical navigation mode inoperative, electronic engine control inoperative. I was complacent because the airplane is normally very easy to fly. The autothrottles and vertical navigation mode, had they been working, would have almost assuredly prevented the bust or at least minimized it, even if I was hand flying. I feel that if the automated systems desirable for a 2-M crew fail or are not available, the work load does not revert to what it would have been with a conventional cockpit, but far exceeds it. I think more trainers in operating these sophisticated airplanes when you suddenly find yourself operating with 'needle ball airspeed' (or it seems that bad) is in order.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT AND SPEED DEVIATION IN ADVANCED COCKPIT ACFT OPERATING WITH SEVERAL INOPERATIVE SYSTEMS.

Narrative: DEPARTED EWR ON PORT JERVIS 9 DEP. RECEIVED CLRNC TO 3000', THEN A LEFT TURN TO (I THINK) 300 DEGS AND A CLB TO 4000'. WE HAD CLB THRUST SET. I WAS COMPLETING THE TURN WHEN MY F/O CALLED 'ALT.' WE WERE CLBING RAPIDLY THROUGH 4500'. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THRUST AND NOSED OVER TO DESCENDED TO 4000'. DEP CAUGHT THE BUST AND GAVE US CLRNC TO 6000'. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ALMOST LEVEL AT 4000', BUT WE ADDED CLB PWR. BY NOW, THE CTLR COULD READ OUR ALT AND HE CANCELLED THE CLB CLRNC. NOW WE WERE ON HDG, ON ALL BUT OUR SPD WAS INCREASING THROUGH 280 KTS. I REDUCED PWR AND USED SPD BRAKES TO SLOW TO 250 KTS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE WHOLE SEQUENCE WAS PLT ERROR. I WAS WAY BEHIND THE AIRPLANE, BUT WHY? SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS COULD BE: I'M NEW ON THE AIRPLANE AFTER 8 YRS ON THE LGT. DURING THE LESS THAN 90 DAYS I'VE BEEN FLYING THIS AIRPLANE I HAVE HAD 2 VACATIONS (1 INVOLUNTARY) AND WAS JUST COMING OFF THE SECOND. THE AIRPLANE WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND HAS A VERY HIGH THRUST TO WT RATIO FOR A TRANSPORT. IT HAS A GLASS COCKPIT AND STATE OF THE ART ELECTRONICS, BUT SOME OF THE MAGIC STUFF WASN'T WORKING, EG, AUTOTHROTTLES INOP, EPR GAUGE INOP (SET THRUST BY MATCHING N1'S), VERT NAVIGATION MODE INOP, ELECTRONIC ENG CTL INOP. I WAS COMPLACENT BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE IS NORMALLY VERY EASY TO FLY. THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND VERT NAVIGATION MODE, HAD THEY BEEN WORKING, WOULD HAVE ALMOST ASSUREDLY PREVENTED THE BUST OR AT LEAST MINIMIZED IT, EVEN IF I WAS HAND FLYING. I FEEL THAT IF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS DESIRABLE FOR A 2-M CREW FAIL OR ARE NOT AVAILABLE, THE WORK LOAD DOES NOT REVERT TO WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH A CONVENTIONAL COCKPIT, BUT FAR EXCEEDS IT. I THINK MORE TRAINERS IN OPERATING THESE SOPHISTICATED AIRPLANES WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF OPERATING WITH 'NEEDLE BALL AIRSPD' (OR IT SEEMS THAT BAD) IS IN ORDER.

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