Narrative:

Departed sna from runway 19R on a musel departure. The noise abatement procedure called for a V2+15 climb to 3000' with a turn to 175 degrees upon crossing the sli 118 degree right. Due to the light gross weight, at 2000' the deck angle was 20+ with the airspeed rising. First officer attempted to regain V2+15 by raising the nose even more. When I saw this, I immediately assumed control of the aircraft, pulled off all power while pushing the nose over. The high deck angle and rate of climb resulted in a 450' excursion above the mandatory level-off altitude. I immediately returned to the assigned altitude and the controller made no comment about the momentary excursion. At low gross weights, the large transport performance while flying the noise abatement profile causes the flight guidance system to give erroneous information and the autothrottles to be ineffective. The excessive deck angle requires the initiation of level-off at this low altitude earlier than usual. A 2-M aircraft requires the PNF to run the checklist, handle communications, maintain a traffic watch in this congested area and monitor the instrument departure. It is during this critical phase that a frequency change is made. At this pint, the PF is on his own and any hesitation to commence an earlier than usual level-off from a 4000+' rate of climb will result in an overshoot. To reduce the exposure to an altitude excursion on departure from sna, I would suggest that: 1) the level-off altitude be increased to be at least 5000'. 2) no frequency changes be given until after 3000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT MAKING NOISE ABATEMENT DEP FROM SNA.

Narrative: DEPARTED SNA FROM RWY 19R ON A MUSEL DEP. THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC CALLED FOR A V2+15 CLB TO 3000' WITH A TURN TO 175 DEGS UPON XING THE SLI 118 DEG R. DUE TO THE LIGHT GROSS WT, AT 2000' THE DECK ANGLE WAS 20+ WITH THE AIRSPD RISING. F/O ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN V2+15 BY RAISING THE NOSE EVEN MORE. WHEN I SAW THIS, I IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE ACFT, PULLED OFF ALL PWR WHILE PUSHING THE NOSE OVER. THE HIGH DECK ANGLE AND RATE OF CLB RESULTED IN A 450' EXCURSION ABOVE THE MANDATORY LEVEL-OFF ALT. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE ASSIGNED ALT AND THE CTLR MADE NO COMMENT ABOUT THE MOMENTARY EXCURSION. AT LOW GROSS WTS, THE LGT PERFORMANCE WHILE FLYING THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROFILE CAUSES THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS TO GIVE ERRONEOUS INFO AND THE AUTOTHROTTLES TO BE INEFFECTIVE. THE EXCESSIVE DECK ANGLE REQUIRES THE INITIATION OF LEVEL-OFF AT THIS LOW ALT EARLIER THAN USUAL. A 2-M ACFT REQUIRES THE PNF TO RUN THE CHKLIST, HANDLE COMS, MAINTAIN A TFC WATCH IN THIS CONGESTED AREA AND MONITOR THE INSTRUMENT DEP. IT IS DURING THIS CRITICAL PHASE THAT A FREQ CHANGE IS MADE. AT THIS PINT, THE PF IS ON HIS OWN AND ANY HESITATION TO COMMENCE AN EARLIER THAN USUAL LEVEL-OFF FROM A 4000+' RATE OF CLB WILL RESULT IN AN OVERSHOOT. TO REDUCE THE EXPOSURE TO AN ALT EXCURSION ON DEP FROM SNA, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT: 1) THE LEVEL-OFF ALT BE INCREASED TO BE AT LEAST 5000'. 2) NO FREQ CHANGES BE GIVEN UNTIL AFTER 3000'.

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.