Narrative:

Climbing to assigned altitude of FL200, out of FL19O in the climb, flight crew was given route change by ZAU. We were wbound for chicago and were rerted up over pullman VOR (120 mi due north of our position). Due to WX ahead that center said 'nobody was getting through.' this vector immediately irritated both flight crew as the rerte was substantially out of our way, WX was not bad between our position and ord (destination). We had WX radar, storm scope, and visual confirmation that WX was very flyable. Anyway, all this was happening during the last 1000 ft of climb to assigned altitude in addition to grabbing for the new STAR for our rerted arrival into ord. Altitude preselect on the flight director/autoplt system was either: 1) not on (usually we verify within 1000 ft of assigned altitude), 2) kicked itself off -- which it's been known to do with regularity, or 3) just didn't work right. Anyway, without ZAU's rerte distraction within 1000 ft of assigned altitude, flight crew would have caught the flight director/autoplt conditions listed above and corrected the problem and leveled aircraft on assigned altitude. We busted our assigned altitude by 500 ft. Suggestions for circumstances not happening again: 1) PF -- fly the airplane, fly the airplane! 2) suggest ARTCC not give rertes when aircraft in a critical level off mode. Maybe say 'north-number, rerte clearance when ready to copy.' 3) let pilots decide whether WX is flyable or not. This particular rerte led us into an altitude bust and WX was very flyable that day. We have better WX evaluating equipment than ARTCC does, anyway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR SMT OVERSHOT ITS ALT ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: CLBING TO ASSIGNED ALT OF FL200, OUT OF FL19O IN THE CLB, FLC WAS GIVEN RTE CHANGE BY ZAU. WE WERE WBOUND FOR CHICAGO AND WERE RERTED UP OVER PULLMAN VOR (120 MI DUE N OF OUR POS). DUE TO WX AHEAD THAT CTR SAID 'NOBODY WAS GETTING THROUGH.' THIS VECTOR IMMEDIATELY IRRITATED BOTH FLC AS THE RERTE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY OUT OF OUR WAY, WX WAS NOT BAD BTWN OUR POS AND ORD (DEST). WE HAD WX RADAR, STORM SCOPE, AND VISUAL CONFIRMATION THAT WX WAS VERY FLYABLE. ANYWAY, ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING DURING THE LAST 1000 FT OF CLB TO ASSIGNED ALT IN ADDITION TO GRABBING FOR THE NEW STAR FOR OUR RERTED ARR INTO ORD. ALT PRESELECT ON THE FLT DIRECTOR/AUTOPLT SYS WAS EITHER: 1) NOT ON (USUALLY WE VERIFY WITHIN 1000 FT OF ASSIGNED ALT), 2) KICKED ITSELF OFF -- WHICH IT'S BEEN KNOWN TO DO WITH REGULARITY, OR 3) JUST DIDN'T WORK RIGHT. ANYWAY, WITHOUT ZAU'S RERTE DISTR WITHIN 1000 FT OF ASSIGNED ALT, FLC WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE FLT DIRECTOR/AUTOPLT CONDITIONS LISTED ABOVE AND CORRECTED THE PROB AND LEVELED ACFT ON ASSIGNED ALT. WE BUSTED OUR ASSIGNED ALT BY 500 FT. SUGGESTIONS FOR CIRCUMSTANCES NOT HAPPENING AGAIN: 1) PF -- FLY THE AIRPLANE, FLY THE AIRPLANE! 2) SUGGEST ARTCC NOT GIVE RERTES WHEN ACFT IN A CRITICAL LEVEL OFF MODE. MAYBE SAY 'N-NUMBER, RERTE CLRNC WHEN READY TO COPY.' 3) LET PLTS DECIDE WHETHER WX IS FLYABLE OR NOT. THIS PARTICULAR RERTE LED US INTO AN ALT BUST AND WX WAS VERY FLYABLE THAT DAY. WE HAVE BETTER WX EVALUATING EQUIP THAN ARTCC DOES, ANYWAY.

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.