Narrative:

After departing mkc we were instructed by tower to contact departure, who in turn gave us the following, 'cleared on course, maintain 4000 ft.' my sic, first officer, was flying at the time and I was operating radios. Both my first officer and I understood that we were to maintain 4000 ft, however due to distractions in the cockpit (my first officer and I were discussing his takeoff technique), neither one of us realized we had passed 4000 ft until approach asked our altitude. At that time we were passing 4500 ft. I immediately lowered the nose and returned to 4000 ft approximately 30 seconds later. We reached 4600 ft before we reacted and started our descent back to 4000 ft. Reporting to approach we were level at 4000 ft, no further communication about our deviation was relayed between ATC and us. I do not believe that our deviation created any conflict with other traffic. I believe in the future, I will adhere to the policy of a sterile cockpit during climbs, dscnts, takeoffs, approachs and lndgs. This deviation could have been avoided had we not been distracted by our conversation which really was not an important issue at that time and could have been discussed later.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON CLB. OVERSHOT ALT WHEN DISCUSSING TKOF TECHNIQUE.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING MKC WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO CONTACT DEP, WHO IN TURN GAVE US THE FOLLOWING, 'CLRED ON COURSE, MAINTAIN 4000 FT.' MY SIC, FO, WAS FLYING AT THE TIME AND I WAS OPERATING RADIOS. BOTH MY FO AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT, HOWEVER DUE TO DISTRACTIONS IN THE COCKPIT (MY FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING HIS TKOF TECHNIQUE), NEITHER ONE OF US REALIZED WE HAD PASSED 4000 FT UNTIL APCH ASKED OUR ALT. AT THAT TIME WE WERE PASSING 4500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE NOSE AND RETURNED TO 4000 FT APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER. WE REACHED 4600 FT BEFORE WE REACTED AND STARTED OUR DSCNT BACK TO 4000 FT. RPTING TO APCH WE WERE LEVEL AT 4000 FT, NO FURTHER COM ABOUT OUR DEV WAS RELAYED BTWN ATC AND US. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR DEV CREATED ANY CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ADHERE TO THE POLICY OF A STERILE COCKPIT DURING CLBS, DSCNTS, TKOFS, APCHS AND LNDGS. THIS DEV COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE NOT BEEN DISTRACTED BY OUR CONVERSATION WHICH REALLY WAS NOT AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AT THAT TIME AND COULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED LATER.

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.