Narrative:

I was doing my IOE for my initial copilot chkout, so my total time in the large transport and my total time as first officer for a major carrier were both about 10 hours. The whole environment was new to me still, and this was exacerbated by the fact that I had spent the last 5 yrs as a second officer and the last 2 1/2 yrs flying mostly to asia as a second officer. High density flying of the northeast corridor felt very busy to me. Also, the WX was lousy. The takeoff had been delayed by high winds (up to 57 KTS), shear and numerous missed approachs due to the frontal system passing through. We were bound to dtw from lga and the detroit area had just had a major change in its system. I had not received my chart changes for that, and it had taken me quite a while to figure out our routing and match it with all the new names for fixes and arwys. This also forced me to share charts with the captain until we got to dtw where I could get new charts. Also, some of the fixes on our clearance were not in the data base. So, by the time we were ready for takeoff, I had ben through a lot of baffling, but educational, programming exercises. Passing 10000', I completed the climb check to the last item--altimeter to 29.92 at transition altitude. I stated 'climb check complete to 18.' then I made the mistake of putting the checklist aside instead of leaving it attached to the yoke to remind me to call 29.92 passing 18000'. The captain and I then became engrossed in my first lesson on the radar system. The WX system in the area, while not severe, gave us some good returns to look at and experiment with. We had been (in steps) cleared to FL310. ATC called and asked us to verify level at FL310. I verified level at FL310 and noticed my altimeter setting of 29.54--that put us 380' too high. I'd forgotten to call 29.92 passing 18000'. I'd been too wrapped up in the FMC and radar, and my habit patterns had not yet been firmly enough ingrained. New guy, dumb mistakes, but that is no excuse--I'm a professional pilot. I need to keep my scan going more and more often. I need to be aware of fixating on things such as radar and the FMC and scan the instruments and outside often even when much of my attention is focused on one area of the cockpit. The biggest thing I can do is never put the checklist away until it is complete. I will leave it attached to the yoke in front of me until every item is completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ALT DEVIATION BECAUSE FLT CREW FORGOT TO RESET ALT PASSING TRANSITION ALT.

Narrative: I WAS DOING MY IOE FOR MY INITIAL COPLT CHKOUT, SO MY TOTAL TIME IN THE LGT AND MY TOTAL TIME AS F/O FOR A MAJOR CARRIER WERE BOTH ABOUT 10 HRS. THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT WAS NEW TO ME STILL, AND THIS WAS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT I HAD SPENT THE LAST 5 YRS AS A S/O AND THE LAST 2 1/2 YRS FLYING MOSTLY TO ASIA AS A S/O. HIGH DENSITY FLYING OF THE NE CORRIDOR FELT VERY BUSY TO ME. ALSO, THE WX WAS LOUSY. THE TKOF HAD BEEN DELAYED BY HIGH WINDS (UP TO 57 KTS), SHEAR AND NUMEROUS MISSED APCHS DUE TO THE FRONTAL SYS PASSING THROUGH. WE WERE BOUND TO DTW FROM LGA AND THE DETROIT AREA HAD JUST HAD A MAJOR CHANGE IN ITS SYS. I HAD NOT RECEIVED MY CHART CHANGES FOR THAT, AND IT HAD TAKEN ME QUITE A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT OUR ROUTING AND MATCH IT WITH ALL THE NEW NAMES FOR FIXES AND ARWYS. THIS ALSO FORCED ME TO SHARE CHARTS WITH THE CAPT UNTIL WE GOT TO DTW WHERE I COULD GET NEW CHARTS. ALSO, SOME OF THE FIXES ON OUR CLRNC WERE NOT IN THE DATA BASE. SO, BY THE TIME WE WERE READY FOR TKOF, I HAD BEN THROUGH A LOT OF BAFFLING, BUT EDUCATIONAL, PROGRAMMING EXERCISES. PASSING 10000', I COMPLETED THE CLB CHK TO THE LAST ITEM--ALTIMETER TO 29.92 AT TRANSITION ALT. I STATED 'CLB CHK COMPLETE TO 18.' THEN I MADE THE MISTAKE OF PUTTING THE CHKLIST ASIDE INSTEAD OF LEAVING IT ATTACHED TO THE YOKE TO REMIND ME TO CALL 29.92 PASSING 18000'. THE CAPT AND I THEN BECAME ENGROSSED IN MY FIRST LESSON ON THE RADAR SYS. THE WX SYS IN THE AREA, WHILE NOT SEVERE, GAVE US SOME GOOD RETURNS TO LOOK AT AND EXPERIMENT WITH. WE HAD BEEN (IN STEPS) CLRED TO FL310. ATC CALLED AND ASKED US TO VERIFY LEVEL AT FL310. I VERIFIED LEVEL AT FL310 AND NOTICED MY ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.54--THAT PUT US 380' TOO HIGH. I'D FORGOTTEN TO CALL 29.92 PASSING 18000'. I'D BEEN TOO WRAPPED UP IN THE FMC AND RADAR, AND MY HABIT PATTERNS HAD NOT YET BEEN FIRMLY ENOUGH INGRAINED. NEW GUY, DUMB MISTAKES, BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE--I'M A PROFESSIONAL PLT. I NEED TO KEEP MY SCAN GOING MORE AND MORE OFTEN. I NEED TO BE AWARE OF FIXATING ON THINGS SUCH AS RADAR AND THE FMC AND SCAN THE INSTRUMENTS AND OUTSIDE OFTEN EVEN WHEN MUCH OF MY ATTN IS FOCUSED ON ONE AREA OF THE COCKPIT. THE BIGGEST THING I CAN DO IS NEVER PUT THE CHKLIST AWAY UNTIL IT IS COMPLETE. I WILL LEAVE IT ATTACHED TO THE YOKE IN FRONT OF ME UNTIL EVERY ITEM IS COMPLETED.

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.