Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	145554
Time
Date	199005
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16400 flight time type : 1315
ASRS Report	145554
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
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 other

Narrative:

We were climbing out from ord and assigned an intermediate altitude of FL190. We had penetrated a line of small thunderstorms over lake michigan and encountered light turbulence. After coming out of the clouds, I called the F/a's on the interphone to tell them it was safe to get up and go about their duties. As I was doing this, the first officer who was hand-flying the aircraft was leveling off at FL190. At this point, the autothrottles should have switched from EPR mode to speed mode, as the flight director indicated capturing the altitude. For some reason unknown, the autothrottles stayed in EPR mode, causing the airspeed to build. This caused the aircraft to pitch up and climb above FL193 before the first officer was able to retard the throttles and get back on altitude. Causes: distracted by WX, and not monitoring flight director indications closely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT FROM ORD AND ASSIGNED AN INTERMEDIATE ALT OF FL190. WE HAD PENETRATED A LINE OF SMALL TSTMS OVER LAKE MICHIGAN AND ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TURB. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS, I CALLED THE F/A'S ON THE INTERPHONE TO TELL THEM IT WAS SAFE TO GET UP AND GO ABOUT THEIR DUTIES. AS I WAS DOING THIS, THE F/O WHO WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT WAS LEVELING OFF AT FL190. AT THIS POINT, THE AUTOTHROTTLES SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED FROM EPR MODE TO SPD MODE, AS THE FLT DIRECTOR INDICATED CAPTURING THE ALT. FOR SOME REASON UNKNOWN, THE AUTOTHROTTLES STAYED IN EPR MODE, CAUSING THE AIRSPD TO BUILD. THIS CAUSED THE ACFT TO PITCH UP AND CLB ABOVE FL193 BEFORE THE F/O WAS ABLE TO RETARD THE THROTTLES AND GET BACK ON ALT. CAUSES: DISTRACTED BY WX, AND NOT MONITORING FLT DIRECTOR INDICATIONS CLOSELY.

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.