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Altitude overshot on climb when flight crew distracted looking for traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 93630 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198809 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 93630 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 93626 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Departure controller cleared us out of 2000' to climb to 6000 (final expected altitude 8000'). Because of high outside air temperatures, I told copilot we would go up to the 8000' today instead of requesting 6500' on top VMC conditions. At that point controller requested flight to expedite climb through 6000'. Copilot was off the frequency in order to give times to operations (per operations manuals/specifications). Copilot came back on frequency and controller again made request to expedite through 6000'. Both xmissions were repeated back to controller. First captain responded expediting through 6000'. Second request--copilot responded would expedite through 6000'. Pilot made comment to copilot she was climbing as fast as possible (1300 FPM). At 6600' controller said we had been cleared only to 6000'. Radar showed us at 6600', and he then cleared us to climb to 8000'. We continued our climb to 8000'. In retrospect the controller probably said, 'expedite to, not through 6000'.' we had a mind set to 8000' because of previous discussion of not going on top at 6500', plus both acknowledging to expedite through 6000'. We also used second transponder to set assigned altitudes in. When I checked only 2000' (first assigned altitude) and 8000 (6/2) were set in. Supplemental information from acn 93626: I had been busy looking out for other aircraft. I was busy and had not set the altitude in our #2 transponder. This occurred on the third day of a 3 day trip after 18 legs, half of which were out of lax.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALT OVERSHOT ON CLIMB WHEN FLT CREW DISTRACTED LOOKING FOR TRAFFIC.
Narrative: DEP CTLR CLRED US OUT OF 2000' TO CLB TO 6000 (FINAL EXPECTED ALT 8000'). BECAUSE OF HIGH OUTSIDE AIR TEMPS, I TOLD COPLT WE WOULD GO UP TO THE 8000' TODAY INSTEAD OF REQUESTING 6500' ON TOP VMC CONDITIONS. AT THAT POINT CTLR REQUESTED FLT TO EXPEDITE CLB THROUGH 6000'. COPLT WAS OFF THE FREQ IN ORDER TO GIVE TIMES TO OPS (PER OPS MANUALS/SPECS). COPLT CAME BACK ON FREQ AND CTLR AGAIN MADE REQUEST TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 6000'. BOTH XMISSIONS WERE REPEATED BACK TO CTLR. FIRST CAPT RESPONDED EXPEDITING THROUGH 6000'. SECOND REQUEST--COPLT RESPONDED WOULD EXPEDITE THROUGH 6000'. PLT MADE COMMENT TO COPLT SHE WAS CLBING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE (1300 FPM). AT 6600' CTLR SAID WE HAD BEEN CLRED ONLY TO 6000'. RADAR SHOWED US AT 6600', AND HE THEN CLRED US TO CLB TO 8000'. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO 8000'. IN RETROSPECT THE CTLR PROBABLY SAID, 'EXPEDITE TO, NOT THROUGH 6000'.' WE HAD A MIND SET TO 8000' BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS DISCUSSION OF NOT GOING ON TOP AT 6500', PLUS BOTH ACKNOWLEDGING TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 6000'. WE ALSO USED SECOND TRANSPONDER TO SET ASSIGNED ALTS IN. WHEN I CHKED ONLY 2000' (FIRST ASSIGNED ALT) AND 8000 (6/2) WERE SET IN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 93626: I HAD BEEN BUSY LOOKING OUT FOR OTHER ACFT. I WAS BUSY AND HAD NOT SET THE ALT IN OUR #2 TRANSPONDER. THIS OCCURRED ON THE THIRD DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP AFTER 18 LEGS, HALF OF WHICH WERE OUT OF LAX.
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.