Narrative:

Flight was on initial climb out to cleared altitude of 10000 ft on runway heading of 352 degree. We were following traffic off runway 35R and left. An large transport X was climbing slowly in front of us and was then cleared to turn wbound. At this time we got the first TA from TCASII. We were then cleared to a heading of 230 degree to intercept our route, as filed. This turn put our track inside the large transport X. We made the 9000 for 10000 ft call and very shortly got another TA from TCASII. We were also switched on radio frequencys. I got overloaded and did not notice we were going through the cleared altitude of 10000 ft. I was attempting to resolve the traffic problem, watch the other aircraft change frequencys while attempting to assist the captain in cockpit duties. At 10300 ft the captain noted that we had overshot our cleared altitude and pushed the nose over. At 10400 ft the controller asked us to 'check our altitude'. We then got another TA, source unresolved. Controller was very busy also and nothing more was said about the overshoot. I believe several factors influenced this situation: the high workload on a 2 person crew in a high density traffic area, the continued distraction of the TCASII. This was the first time I had ever seen it operational. My personal lack of recent experience let my captain down. Company had discontinued flying for their instructors and I had only 62.5 hours in the last yr, and 19.7 hours in the past 6 months. The close turn inside the turn of the preceding large transport had me distracted. This aircraft was apparently not the one responsible for the TA from the TCASII. Neither of us were ever able to sight the traffic it was referencing and this added confusion to the problem. The TCASII on this aircraft later went into 'TCAS fail' mode in another high density traffic area. I think that this aircraft should have an aural altitude beeper, such as on the large transport X, to alert the crew when they are both loaded up as we were.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ALT DEV OVERSHOT DURING CLB OUT FROM DEN. FO CLAIMS TCASII TA WAS PART OF THE DISTR THAT KEPT HIM FROM NOTICING THE ERROR.

Narrative: FLT WAS ON INITIAL CLBOUT TO CLRED ALT OF 10000 FT ON RWY HDG OF 352 DEG. WE WERE FOLLOWING TFC OFF RWY 35R AND L. AN LGT X WAS CLBING SLOWLY IN FRONT OF US AND WAS THEN CLRED TO TURN WBOUND. AT THIS TIME WE GOT THE FIRST TA FROM TCASII. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO A HDG OF 230 DEG TO INTERCEPT OUR RTE, AS FILED. THIS TURN PUT OUR TRACK INSIDE THE LGT X. WE MADE THE 9000 FOR 10000 FT CALL AND VERY SHORTLY GOT ANOTHER TA FROM TCASII. WE WERE ALSO SWITCHED ON RADIO FREQS. I GOT OVERLOADED AND DID NOT NOTICE WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE CLRED ALT OF 10000 FT. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THE TFC PROBLEM, WATCH THE OTHER ACFT CHANGE FREQS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ASSIST THE CAPT IN COCKPIT DUTIES. AT 10300 FT THE CAPT NOTED THAT WE HAD OVERSHOT OUR CLRED ALT AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER. AT 10400 FT THE CTLR ASKED US TO 'CHK OUR ALT'. WE THEN GOT ANOTHER TA, SOURCE UNRESOLVED. CTLR WAS VERY BUSY ALSO AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID ABOUT THE OVERSHOOT. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS INFLUENCED THIS SITUATION: THE HIGH WORKLOAD ON A 2 PERSON CREW IN A HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA, THE CONTINUED DISTR OF THE TCASII. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER SEEN IT OPERATIONAL. MY PERSONAL LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE LET MY CAPT DOWN. COMPANY HAD DISCONTINUED FLYING FOR THEIR INSTRUCTORS AND I HAD ONLY 62.5 HRS IN THE LAST YR, AND 19.7 HRS IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. THE CLOSE TURN INSIDE THE TURN OF THE PRECEDING LGT HAD ME DISTRACTED. THIS ACFT WAS APPARENTLY NOT THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TA FROM THE TCASII. NEITHER OF US WERE EVER ABLE TO SIGHT THE TFC IT WAS REFING AND THIS ADDED CONFUSION TO THE PROBLEM. THE TCASII ON THIS ACFT LATER WENT INTO 'TCAS FAIL' MODE IN ANOTHER HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA. I THINK THAT THIS ACFT SHOULD HAVE AN AURAL ALT BEEPER, SUCH AS ON THE LGT X, TO ALERT THE CREW WHEN THEY ARE BOTH LOADED UP AS WE WERE.

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.