Narrative:

On apr/xx/96, at approximately XA52 I was a so on a flight departing from lax. We were cleared to 3000 ft. Our captain was flying the departure and they gave us an airspeed restr, I believe of 210 KTS. Since we were already clean, our slats had to be extended. I was trying to fix a problem with our ACARS when our first officer said, 'watch your altitude.' I looked forward and we were 300 ft high. After the captain corrected his altitude, we were cleared to 13000 ft. I went back to my ACARS problem when I heard the first officer say, 'we need to climb, we're cleared to 13000 ft.' I saw that the captain had descended to 2500 ft. Departure control instructed us to climb and to maintain 250 KTS. I feel the change in procedure, ie, having to dirty up the aircraft on climb out for our speed restr and my set of eyeballs not being in the forward section of the cockpit are partly to blame. Also, when I met the captain for brief before the flight, he seemed kind of 'out of it,' like his rest was or had not been adequate. I learned a lesson I will not forget. Keep the eyes forward until out of the terminal environment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback to reporter so was made primarily because the so had not included his address on the identify strip. The sentence about the slats had to be 'retracted,' was not what reporter meant. He meant extended, which has been changed. Also, the comment regarding the captain being 'kind of out of it' was questioned. He says the captain appeared to be fatigued or not functioning up to speed and that the first officer had to constantly monitor the flying performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON CLB WHEN CAPT OVERSHOT ALT BY 300 FT. WHEN ALERTED BY THE FO, CAPT DSNDED TO 2500 FT INSTEAD OF THE ASSIGNED 3000 FT. RPTR SO SAYS THE CAPT APPEARED TO BE TIRED AND NOT IN THE LOOP.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/96, AT APPROX XA52 I WAS A SO ON A FLT DEPARTING FROM LAX. WE WERE CLRED TO 3000 FT. OUR CAPT WAS FLYING THE DEP AND THEY GAVE US AN AIRSPD RESTR, I BELIEVE OF 210 KTS. SINCE WE WERE ALREADY CLEAN, OUR SLATS HAD TO BE EXTENDED. I WAS TRYING TO FIX A PROB WITH OUR ACARS WHEN OUR FO SAID, 'WATCH YOUR ALT.' I LOOKED FORWARD AND WE WERE 300 FT HIGH. AFTER THE CAPT CORRECTED HIS ALT, WE WERE CLRED TO 13000 FT. I WENT BACK TO MY ACARS PROB WHEN I HEARD THE FO SAY, 'WE NEED TO CLB, WE'RE CLRED TO 13000 FT.' I SAW THAT THE CAPT HAD DSNDED TO 2500 FT. DEP CTL INSTRUCTED US TO CLB AND TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS. I FEEL THE CHANGE IN PROC, IE, HAVING TO DIRTY UP THE ACFT ON CLBOUT FOR OUR SPD RESTR AND MY SET OF EYEBALLS NOT BEING IN THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE COCKPIT ARE PARTLY TO BLAME. ALSO, WHEN I MET THE CAPT FOR BRIEF BEFORE THE FLT, HE SEEMED KIND OF 'OUT OF IT,' LIKE HIS REST WAS OR HAD NOT BEEN ADEQUATE. I LEARNED A LESSON I WILL NOT FORGET. KEEP THE EYES FORWARD UNTIL OUT OF THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK TO RPTR SO WAS MADE PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE SO HAD NOT INCLUDED HIS ADDRESS ON THE IDENT STRIP. THE SENTENCE ABOUT THE SLATS HAD TO BE 'RETRACTED,' WAS NOT WHAT RPTR MEANT. HE MEANT EXTENDED, WHICH HAS BEEN CHANGED. ALSO, THE COMMENT REGARDING THE CAPT BEING 'KIND OF OUT OF IT' WAS QUESTIONED. HE SAYS THE CAPT APPEARED TO BE FATIGUED OR NOT FUNCTIONING UP TO SPD AND THAT THE FO HAD TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR THE FLYING PERFORMANCE.

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.