Narrative:

This was transition training for the first officer, who is very experienced and has flown the 737-300 before and been a captain on other aircraft. This was the second day of a 2-DAY trip. He had performed flawless up till this point. This leg was only about 60 NM so we decided to let him hand fly the aircraft. We had had a long day the first day with many WX delays for thunderstorms and a minimum rest period the previous night. After an XA45 am departure from bos to clt, this lack of rest could have been a factor. After a normal takeoff, when we were given a climb to 8000 ft, there were several buildups in the area we were dodging for a smooth ride. At about 7500 ft I noticed our rate of climb was about 3000 FPM. Calling this to the first officer's attention, he reduced power and reduced pitch attitude. I think he was looking outside to avoid the buildups and I had been looking at the TCASII because of an aircraft approaching us. At about 8250 ft we started descending immediately back to 8000 ft, but we did get an RA on the TCASII. The altitude alerter did not go off. Supplemental information from acn 306670: due to our light weight we had a great rate of climb. I was distracted by looking for traffic (an RA had began) and at the cumulus in front of us, I overshot my altitude by about 200-250 ft (at which point the TCASII began a clear of conflict). After discussing what had happened with the captain, we felt that the problem was mere excessive climb rate and that the overshoot was not the problem because the 'clear of conflict' had happened almost immediately as I had begun a pitch over and began to relevel at 8000 ft. The fault was obviously mine and that I allowed myself to be distracted and look out the aircraft at the cumulus and for the traffic instead of minding the shop inside (while other crew member was outside).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ERROR ADMITTED IN FLC TECHNIQUE FLYING IN AN ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN CLBING TFC.

Narrative: THIS WAS TRANSITION TRAINING FOR THE FO, WHO IS VERY EXPERIENCED AND HAS FLOWN THE 737-300 BEFORE AND BEEN A CAPT ON OTHER ACFT. THIS WAS THE SECOND DAY OF A 2-DAY TRIP. HE HAD PERFORMED FLAWLESS UP TILL THIS POINT. THIS LEG WAS ONLY ABOUT 60 NM SO WE DECIDED TO LET HIM HAND FLY THE ACFT. WE HAD HAD A LONG DAY THE FIRST DAY WITH MANY WX DELAYS FOR TSTMS AND A MINIMUM REST PERIOD THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. AFTER AN XA45 AM DEP FROM BOS TO CLT, THIS LACK OF REST COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. AFTER A NORMAL TKOF, WHEN WE WERE GIVEN A CLB TO 8000 FT, THERE WERE SEVERAL BUILDUPS IN THE AREA WE WERE DODGING FOR A SMOOTH RIDE. AT ABOUT 7500 FT I NOTICED OUR RATE OF CLB WAS ABOUT 3000 FPM. CALLING THIS TO THE FO'S ATTN, HE REDUCED PWR AND REDUCED PITCH ATTITUDE. I THINK HE WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE TO AVOID THE BUILDUPS AND I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE TCASII BECAUSE OF AN ACFT APCHING US. AT ABOUT 8250 FT WE STARTED DSNDING IMMEDIATELY BACK TO 8000 FT, BUT WE DID GET AN RA ON THE TCASII. THE ALT ALERTER DID NOT GO OFF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 306670: DUE TO OUR LIGHT WT WE HAD A GREAT RATE OF CLB. I WAS DISTRACTED BY LOOKING FOR TFC (AN RA HAD BEGAN) AND AT THE CUMULUS IN FRONT OF US, I OVERSHOT MY ALT BY ABOUT 200-250 FT (AT WHICH POINT THE TCASII BEGAN A CLR OF CONFLICT). AFTER DISCUSSING WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE CAPT, WE FELT THAT THE PROB WAS MERE EXCESSIVE CLB RATE AND THAT THE OVERSHOOT WAS NOT THE PROB BECAUSE THE 'CLR OF CONFLICT' HAD HAPPENED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AS I HAD BEGUN A PITCH OVER AND BEGAN TO RELEVEL AT 8000 FT. THE FAULT WAS OBVIOUSLY MINE AND THAT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED AND LOOK OUT THE ACFT AT THE CUMULUS AND FOR THE TFC INSTEAD OF MINDING THE SHOP INSIDE (WHILE OTHER CREW MEMBER WAS OUTSIDE).

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.