Widebody transport flight crew climbs above assigned altitude while searching for traffic.

Attributes
ACN	142233
Time
Date	199004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : avp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 808
ASRS Report	142233
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation 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:

Cleared to maintain 2000' after takeoff. Aircraft was very light (314.0) and we had to use limit thrust due to a tailwind. At 1000' controller called our attention to traffic repeatedly in a rather excited fashion. Everyone in the cockpit started looking and I armed IAS hold on the flight mode annunciator just as capture mode annunciated, so the altitude protection was disarmed. Climbed to 2400' before realizing overshoot and descended back to 2000'. I believe the controller's excited calls about traffic engaged the entire crew's attention. This coupled with the high rate of climb due to a light aircraft and the inadvertent disarming of the altitude on the flight mode annunciator caused the overshoot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FLT CREW CLIMBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT WHILE SEARCHING FOR TRAFFIC.

Narrative: CLRED TO MAINTAIN 2000' AFTER TKOF. ACFT WAS VERY LIGHT (314.0) AND WE HAD TO USE LIMIT THRUST DUE TO A TAILWIND. AT 1000' CTLR CALLED OUR ATTN TO TFC REPEATEDLY IN A RATHER EXCITED FASHION. EVERYONE IN THE COCKPIT STARTED LOOKING AND I ARMED IAS HOLD ON THE FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR JUST AS CAPTURE MODE ANNUNCIATED, SO THE ALT PROTECTION WAS DISARMED. CLBED TO 2400' BEFORE REALIZING OVERSHOOT AND DSNDED BACK TO 2000'. I BELIEVE THE CTLR'S EXCITED CALLS ABOUT TFC ENGAGED THE ENTIRE CREW'S ATTN. THIS COUPLED WITH THE HIGH RATE OF CLB DUE TO A LIGHT ACFT AND THE INADVERTENT DISARMING OF THE ALT ON THE FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR CAUSED THE OVERSHOOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.