Air carrier medium large transport overshoots altitude on climb due to strange behavior of PF.

Attributes
ACN	105283
Time
Date	198902
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17250
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	105283
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were climbing out of clt on the clt 343 degree right. First officer was flying. He was hand flying, and in fact had previously requested to hand fly. Clearance was 17000'. Approaching 16000' I made standard call, '16 for 17.' first officer replied, 'roger.' ATC said something and I momentarily looked down to increase vol. I quickly sensed something was wrong, even though first officer had placed his hands on the throttles out of 16000'. He had pulled the nose up out of 16000' and 16300' was going 5000 FPM or more up. I yelled, 'level off,' grabbing the controls and pushing the nose over hard. We leveled (peaked) at 17250' and I started it down to 17000'. He was not incapacitated in any way. In my entire flying career I have never encountered a situation like this, nor had to move controls this aggressively on a passenger flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OVERSHOOTS ALT ON CLIMB DUE TO STRANGE BEHAVIOR OF PF.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT OF CLT ON THE CLT 343 DEG R. F/O WAS FLYING. HE WAS HAND FLYING, AND IN FACT HAD PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED TO HAND FLY. CLRNC WAS 17000'. APCHING 16000' I MADE STANDARD CALL, '16 FOR 17.' F/O REPLIED, 'ROGER.' ATC SAID SOMETHING AND I MOMENTARILY LOOKED DOWN TO INCREASE VOL. I QUICKLY SENSED SOMETHING WAS WRONG, EVEN THOUGH F/O HAD PLACED HIS HANDS ON THE THROTTLES OUT OF 16000'. HE HAD PULLED THE NOSE UP OUT OF 16000' AND 16300' WAS GOING 5000 FPM OR MORE UP. I YELLED, 'LEVEL OFF,' GRABBING THE CONTROLS AND PUSHING THE NOSE OVER HARD. WE LEVELED (PEAKED) AT 17250' AND I STARTED IT DOWN TO 17000'. HE WAS NOT INCAPACITATED IN ANY WAY. IN MY ENTIRE FLYING CAREER I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION LIKE THIS, NOR HAD TO MOVE CONTROLS THIS AGGRESSIVELY ON A PAX FLT.

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.