Narrative:

I was flying between indianapolis, in, and newark, nj, the indianapolis controller was step climbing us at 1000 ft increments in order to get us around a smaller and slower aircraft, which we had visual contact with at all times. Finally, he cleared us to 20000 ft which I acknowledged. The first officer who was flying, misunderstood and set 23000 ft in the altitude reminder, which I failed to check. The aircraft climbed to 23000 ft. There was no evasive action taken or needed. Constant step climbing has its problems, setting different altitudes constantly will sooner or later cause problems, in which case it did. I believe if the controller had warned us coming out of 20000 ft, instead of waiting until we started leveling at 23000 ft, we could have leveled shortly thereafter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN CLB.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING BTWN INDIANAPOLIS, IN, AND NEWARK, NJ, THE INDIANAPOLIS CTLR WAS STEP CLBING US AT 1000 FT INCREMENTS IN ORDER TO GET US AROUND A SMALLER AND SLOWER ACFT, WHICH WE HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH AT ALL TIMES. FINALLY, HE CLRED US TO 20000 FT WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE FO WHO WAS FLYING, MISUNDERSTOOD AND SET 23000 FT IN THE ALT REMINDER, WHICH I FAILED TO CHK. THE ACFT CLBED TO 23000 FT. THERE WAS NO EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN OR NEEDED. CONSTANT STEP CLBING HAS ITS PROBS, SETTING DIFFERENT ALTS CONSTANTLY WILL SOONER OR LATER CAUSE PROBS, IN WHICH CASE IT DID. I BELIEVE IF THE CTLR HAD WARNED US COMING OUT OF 20000 FT, INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL WE STARTED LEVELING AT 23000 FT, WE COULD HAVE LEVELED SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

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.