Narrative:

Established in holding pattern FL250. My first flight attendant entered the cockpit with a forward galley problem of some water on the floor. I turned to discuss the galley problem with my flight attendant. After approximately 2-3 mins of discussion, my first officer made the comment that it took an awful lot of power to maintain airspeed. As I turned back around, I noticed he had the power levers almost firewalled and the airspeed at 210 KTS. As I scanned the instrument panel, we both noticed that the aircraft was climbing through FL286. We were 3600 ft above our assigned altitude. An emergency descent was made back to our assigned altitude. Once we leveled off, I asked him what happened and he could not provide an answer. The aircraft was on autoplt and the altitude hold switch was off. He did state that he was distraction by the problem I was working with the flight attendant. I suspect that, as he started the turn outbound in the holding pattern, he turned in his seat to view us and inadvertently overrode the altitude select mode and pulled the nose up. As he noticed the airspeed decreasing, he pushed the power up to correct and did not notice the aircraft climbing. I did not hear the altitude alert horn go off, however, it did work properly on all subsequent leveloffs and altitude changes. I'm sure it worked, I just did not hear it. We were the second aircraft in holding and at the highest assigned altitude. Supplemental information from acn 359724: I was tired as we had been getting up at XG00 am (home time) for early shows. I had gone to bed early both evenings, XA00 pm, this was the third day of a 4-DAY trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-200 CLBED IN A HOLDING PATTERN WHEN THE ALT HOLD APPARENTLY WAS DISENGAGED.

Narrative: ESTABLISHED IN HOLDING PATTERN FL250. MY FIRST FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT WITH A FORWARD GALLEY PROB OF SOME WATER ON THE FLOOR. I TURNED TO DISCUSS THE GALLEY PROB WITH MY FLT ATTENDANT. AFTER APPROX 2-3 MINS OF DISCUSSION, MY FO MADE THE COMMENT THAT IT TOOK AN AWFUL LOT OF PWR TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD. AS I TURNED BACK AROUND, I NOTICED HE HAD THE PWR LEVERS ALMOST FIREWALLED AND THE AIRSPD AT 210 KTS. AS I SCANNED THE INST PANEL, WE BOTH NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WAS CLBING THROUGH FL286. WE WERE 3600 FT ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT. AN EMER DSCNT WAS MADE BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT. ONCE WE LEVELED OFF, I ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND HE COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ANSWER. THE ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT AND THE ALT HOLD SWITCH WAS OFF. HE DID STATE THAT HE WAS DISTR BY THE PROB I WAS WORKING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT. I SUSPECT THAT, AS HE STARTED THE TURN OUTBOUND IN THE HOLDING PATTERN, HE TURNED IN HIS SEAT TO VIEW US AND INADVERTENTLY OVERRODE THE ALT SELECT MODE AND PULLED THE NOSE UP. AS HE NOTICED THE AIRSPD DECREASING, HE PUSHED THE PWR UP TO CORRECT AND DID NOT NOTICE THE ACFT CLBING. I DID NOT HEAR THE ALT ALERT HORN GO OFF, HOWEVER, IT DID WORK PROPERLY ON ALL SUBSEQUENT LEVELOFFS AND ALT CHANGES. I'M SURE IT WORKED, I JUST DID NOT HEAR IT. WE WERE THE SECOND ACFT IN HOLDING AND AT THE HIGHEST ASSIGNED ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 359724: I WAS TIRED AS WE HAD BEEN GETTING UP AT XG00 AM (HOME TIME) FOR EARLY SHOWS. I HAD GONE TO BED EARLY BOTH EVENINGS, XA00 PM, THIS WAS THE THIRD DAY OF A 4-DAY TRIP.

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.