Narrative:

Departed lga runway 13, whitestone climb. Departure control cleared us to 8000 ft. At 7000 ft, both pilots called '7000 ft for 8000 ft,' altitude alerter warned of an overshoot at 8300 ft and immediately corrected back to 8000 ft. Controller called to confirm we were assigned 8000 ft as I began the correction, maximum altitude was 8440 ft. Contributing factors: power management control was inoperative, therefore, autothrottle was off. Captain was fighting (and commenting on) out of rig thrust levers which were 2 knob widths apart for equal thrust settings. Controller was simultaneously giving us a series of left turns for vectors to overhead jfk. This aircraft series (the -300 and -400 B737's) acquires, but does not hold an altitude for the flight director unless the rate of climb is a low value (+/-500 FPM or less), and, as is my habit, I was hand flying the aircraft. Given the complexity of the departure, coupled with this airplane's limitations (the MEL), I would have been wiser to have used the autoplt and will do so in similar complex sits.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 CLBS THROUGH ASSIGNED 8000 FT ALT.

Narrative: DEPARTED LGA RWY 13, WHITESTONE CLB. DEP CTL CLRED US TO 8000 FT. AT 7000 FT, BOTH PLTS CALLED '7000 FT FOR 8000 FT,' ALT ALERTER WARNED OF AN OVERSHOOT AT 8300 FT AND IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BACK TO 8000 FT. CTLR CALLED TO CONFIRM WE WERE ASSIGNED 8000 FT AS I BEGAN THE CORRECTION, MAX ALT WAS 8440 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PWR MGMNT CTL WAS INOP, THEREFORE, AUTOTHROTTLE WAS OFF. CAPT WAS FIGHTING (AND COMMENTING ON) OUT OF RIG THRUST LEVERS WHICH WERE 2 KNOB WIDTHS APART FOR EQUAL THRUST SETTINGS. CTLR WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVING US A SERIES OF L TURNS FOR VECTORS TO OVERHEAD JFK. THIS ACFT SERIES (THE -300 AND -400 B737'S) ACQUIRES, BUT DOES NOT HOLD AN ALT FOR THE FLT DIRECTOR UNLESS THE RATE OF CLB IS A LOW VALUE (+/-500 FPM OR LESS), AND, AS IS MY HABIT, I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE DEP, COUPLED WITH THIS AIRPLANE'S LIMITATIONS (THE MEL), I WOULD HAVE BEEN WISER TO HAVE USED THE AUTOPLT AND WILL DO SO IN SIMILAR COMPLEX SITS.

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.