Narrative:

We departed st thomas on a palco SID, initial altitude clearance to 3000 ft. Upon initial contact with sju approach, we were cleared to 10000 ft. A line of cumulus clouds, tops estimated 12000-14000 ft, was ahead. The first officer was hand flying the airplane. I turned on the radar and was adjusting it to determine a suitable heading through the clouds. I heard the altitude alerter warning and looked to see about 9800 ft and climbing rapidly. I called out to the first officer to push it over and he was doing so while trying not to go to negative G force. We topped out at about 10500 ft before starting back down to 10000 ft. The first officer later stated that he was looking outside at the clouds and thinking that he could increase our climb angle and top them, forgetting about the 10000 ft clearance limit. My duty as PNF was to call out 1000 ft prior to the cleared altitude, a call I missed while distracted with the radar. The solution to this is to use the autoplt anytime there is a distraction. I now include in my general crew briefing before the first flight that, although we all like to hand fly, if any distraction comes up, be it WX or aircraft system, the autoplt will be engaged immediately! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is flying the B-757 and B-767 for a major united states air carrier. He had never met the first officer before this trip but does not believe that this had anything to do with the incident. The reporter now briefs his first officer's that they will use the autoplt if there is any possible distraction such as WX, and presumably program the FMC properly. The reporter realizes that he should have watched his first officer more carefully and spent less time on the radar. The first officer was trying to top the WX and forgot about the 10000 ft clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ST THOMAS ON A PALCO SID, INITIAL ALT CLRNC TO 3000 FT. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH SJU APCH, WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT. A LINE OF CUMULUS CLOUDS, TOPS ESTIMATED 12000-14000 FT, WAS AHEAD. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE. I TURNED ON THE RADAR AND WAS ADJUSTING IT TO DETERMINE A SUITABLE HDG THROUGH THE CLOUDS. I HEARD THE ALT ALERTER WARNING AND LOOKED TO SEE ABOUT 9800 FT AND CLBING RAPIDLY. I CALLED OUT TO THE FO TO PUSH IT OVER AND HE WAS DOING SO WHILE TRYING NOT TO GO TO NEGATIVE G FORCE. WE TOPPED OUT AT ABOUT 10500 FT BEFORE STARTING BACK DOWN TO 10000 FT. THE FO LATER STATED THAT HE WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AT THE CLOUDS AND THINKING THAT HE COULD INCREASE OUR CLB ANGLE AND TOP THEM, FORGETTING ABOUT THE 10000 FT CLRNC LIMIT. MY DUTY AS PNF WAS TO CALL OUT 1000 FT PRIOR TO THE CLRED ALT, A CALL I MISSED WHILE DISTRACTED WITH THE RADAR. THE SOLUTION TO THIS IS TO USE THE AUTOPLT ANYTIME THERE IS A DISTR. I NOW INCLUDE IN MY GENERAL CREW BRIEFING BEFORE THE FIRST FLT THAT, ALTHOUGH WE ALL LIKE TO HAND FLY, IF ANY DISTR COMES UP, BE IT WX OR ACFT SYS, THE AUTOPLT WILL BE ENGAGED IMMEDIATELY! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS FLYING THE B-757 AND B-767 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE HAD NEVER MET THE FO BEFORE THIS TRIP BUT DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR NOW BRIEFS HIS FO'S THAT THEY WILL USE THE AUTOPLT IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBLE DISTR SUCH AS WX, AND PRESUMABLY PROGRAM THE FMC PROPERLY. THE RPTR REALIZES THAT HE SHOULD HAVE WATCHED HIS FO MORE CAREFULLY AND SPENT LESS TIME ON THE RADAR. THE FO WAS TRYING TO TOP THE WX AND FORGOT ABOUT THE 10000 FT CLRNC.

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.