Narrative:

My copilot and myself began a 3 day trip at O'hare approximately 4 1/2 hours before the reported incident. I have been flying the widebody transport for 5 months and had 80+ hours in the aircraft. My copilot has been on the line flying the widebody transport for 3 months and had a total of 30+ hours in the aircraft. I called and talked to our flight standards people and they said as long as I had 50 hours there was no problem. I felt a bit uncomfortable with a new copilot plus myself having limited experience in the aircraft. Neither of us had flown the equipment in the last 30 days. We were departing ewr and the copilot was flying the aircraft. I was working the radios and programming the FMC. Departure control had given us an altitude of 6000', advised us of traffic in the area and to proceed to a new fix. At that point I put my head down in the cockpit to program the computer. I heard the altitude aural warning signal, looked up and saw my altimeter reading 6355'. I immediately pushed the nose over and took the aircraft back to 6000'. Our altitude probably reached 6375'. I would guess we were off of our altitude no more than 10-12 seconds at the most. I believe the incident was caused by having 2 inexperienced pilots paired together in a 2-M aircraft. ATC at no time asked us our altitude or reported the excursion to us. Supplemental information from acn 84742: the captain was programming some data in our FMC and I was scanning for outside traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMBOUT FROM EWR.

Narrative: MY COPLT AND MYSELF BEGAN A 3 DAY TRIP AT O'HARE APPROX 4 1/2 HRS BEFORE THE RPTED INCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN FLYING THE WDB FOR 5 MONTHS AND HAD 80+ HRS IN THE ACFT. MY COPLT HAS BEEN ON THE LINE FLYING THE WDB FOR 3 MONTHS AND HAD A TOTAL OF 30+ HRS IN THE ACFT. I CALLED AND TALKED TO OUR FLT STANDARDS PEOPLE AND THEY SAID AS LONG AS I HAD 50 HRS THERE WAS NO PROB. I FELT A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH A NEW COPLT PLUS MYSELF HAVING LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT. NEITHER OF US HAD FLOWN THE EQUIP IN THE LAST 30 DAYS. WE WERE DEPARTING EWR AND THE COPLT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS AND PROGRAMMING THE FMC. DEP CTL HAD GIVEN US AN ALT OF 6000', ADVISED US OF TFC IN THE AREA AND TO PROCEED TO A NEW FIX. AT THAT POINT I PUT MY HEAD DOWN IN THE COCKPIT TO PROGRAM THE COMPUTER. I HEARD THE ALT AURAL WARNING SIGNAL, LOOKED UP AND SAW MY ALTIMETER READING 6355'. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND TOOK THE ACFT BACK TO 6000'. OUR ALT PROBABLY REACHED 6375'. I WOULD GUESS WE WERE OFF OF OUR ALT NO MORE THAN 10-12 SECS AT THE MOST. I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY HAVING 2 INEXPERIENCED PLTS PAIRED TOGETHER IN A 2-M ACFT. ATC AT NO TIME ASKED US OUR ALT OR RPTED THE EXCURSION TO US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 84742: THE CAPT WAS PROGRAMMING SOME DATA IN OUR FMC AND I WAS SCANNING FOR OUTSIDE TFC.

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.