Mdt flight crew climbed above assigned altitude by 1000'. Descended to maintain assigned.

Attributes
ACN	126347
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : kas
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : ekdk
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	126347
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Copenhagen control requested that we climb to and maintain FL130 (apparently due to our nne route of flight) which we acknowledged and the first officer initiated, improperly. During this whole sequence the aircraft autoplt (afcs) flight director system was engaged. First officer initiated climb from FL120 (on rate mode at 1000 FPM) to FL130 but neglected to set new altitude FL130 with knob on adu (advisory display unit) on glareshield. At the time I was plenty busy with ATC communications, monitoring his navigating and dealing with an apparently ill F/a who was in the cockpit at the time discussing her condition with me. First officer was distracted from his primary duty by the discussion between I and the F/a. Copenhagen calls as we are approaching FL140, clearance was to FL130 asking us 'what altitude we are climbing to and verify to FL130'. I immediately looked at the altimeter and the adu (altitude selected was 12,000) and then acknowledged that FL130 would be fine as a final altitude and at the same time terminated the climb, set in 13,000 and initiated a 1500 FPM descent to FL130 and asked the first officer what the hell he was doing? We discussed what had happened and how to prevent it from occurring again -- by setting new altitude in first, then initiating a climb or descent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT FLT CREW CLIMBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT BY 1000'. DESCENDED TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED.

Narrative: COPENHAGEN CTL REQUESTED THAT WE CLIMB TO AND MAINTAIN FL130 (APPARENTLY DUE TO OUR NNE ROUTE OF FLT) WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THE F/O INITIATED, IMPROPERLY. DURING THIS WHOLE SEQUENCE THE ACFT AUTOPLT (AFCS) FLT DIRECTOR SYSTEM WAS ENGAGED. F/O INITIATED CLIMB FROM FL120 (ON RATE MODE AT 1000 FPM) TO FL130 BUT NEGLECTED TO SET NEW ALT FL130 WITH KNOB ON ADU (ADVISORY DISPLAY UNIT) ON GLARESHIELD. AT THE TIME I WAS PLENTY BUSY WITH ATC COMS, MONITORING HIS NAVIGATING AND DEALING WITH AN APPARENTLY ILL F/A WHO WAS IN THE COCKPIT AT THE TIME DISCUSSING HER CONDITION WITH ME. F/O WAS DISTRACTED FROM HIS PRIMARY DUTY BY THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN I AND THE F/A. COPENHAGEN CALLS AS WE ARE APCHING FL140, CLRNC WAS TO FL130 ASKING US 'WHAT ALT WE ARE CLIMBING TO AND VERIFY TO FL130'. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND THE ADU (ALT SELECTED WAS 12,000) AND THEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FL130 WOULD BE FINE AS A FINAL ALT AND AT THE SAME TIME TERMINATED THE CLIMB, SET IN 13,000 AND INITIATED A 1500 FPM DSCNT TO FL130 AND ASKED THE F/O WHAT THE HELL HE WAS DOING? WE DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM OCCURRING AGAIN -- BY SETTING NEW ALT IN FIRST, THEN INITIATING A CLIMB OR DSCNT.

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.