A commuter aircraft overshot clearance altitude while distracted by unfamiliar arrival and intersect...

Attributes
ACN	301470
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pbi
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3200
ASRS Report	301470
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 900
ASRS Report	301474
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/tue/95 at approximately XA10-XA15 pm, we were told to proceed direct to an intersection that was unfamiliar to our usual routing. While I was searching for this intersection on the maps, my copilot was flying. He was supposed to level off at 15000 ft and discovered he had accidentally climbed to 15800 ft. We were immediately correcting when ZMA advised us of the deviation. Center then advised/assigned a vector to our normal arrival into west palm beach. There was no known traffic occurrence reported to us. To help prevent any future occurrence, I would watch my first officer's more carefully when transitioning from climbs/dscnts to cruise flight when they are flying. Supplemental information from acn 301474: we were given an unfamiliar approach into west palm beach (lakes arrival). The first officer flying the aircraft attempted to aid the captain and in doing so flew through the assigned altitude by 800 ft. The prevention for this would have simply been for the pilot flying the aircraft not do anything else other than fly the aircraft, no matter what the distraction may have been.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER ACFT OVERSHOT CLRNC ALT WHILE DISTRACTED BY UNFAMILIAR ARR AND INTXN LOCATION.

Narrative: ON APR/TUE/95 AT APPROX XA10-XA15 PM, WE WERE TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT TO AN INTXN THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR TO OUR USUAL ROUTING. WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR THIS INTXN ON THE MAPS, MY COPLT WAS FLYING. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO LEVEL OFF AT 15000 FT AND DISCOVERED HE HAD ACCIDENTALLY CLBED TO 15800 FT. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTING WHEN ZMA ADVISED US OF THE DEV. CTR THEN ADVISED/ASSIGNED A VECTOR TO OUR NORMAL ARR INTO WEST PALM BEACH. THERE WAS NO KNOWN TFC OCCURRENCE RPTED TO US. TO HELP PREVENT ANY FUTURE OCCURRENCE, I WOULD WATCH MY FO'S MORE CAREFULLY WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM CLBS/DSCNTS TO CRUISE FLT WHEN THEY ARE FLYING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 301474: WE WERE GIVEN AN UNFAMILIAR APCH INTO WEST PALM BEACH (LAKES ARR). THE FO FLYING THE ACFT ATTEMPTED TO AID THE CAPT AND IN DOING SO FLEW THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT BY 800 FT. THE PREVENTION FOR THIS WOULD HAVE SIMPLY BEEN FOR THE PLT FLYING THE ACFT NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN FLY THE ACFT, NO MATTER WHAT THE DISTR MAY HAVE BEEN.

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.

A commuter aircraft overshot clearance altitude while distracted by unfamiliar arrival and intersection location.