Narrative:

Some airports have so many arrival, departure and let down charts. I feel that there should be fewer and clearer charts, even if some less important information is removed. You can be given so much information, you miss what's important. The aircraft autoplt was engaged and modes selected properly. The aircraft is a dash 8 equipped with a SP28000 afcs. I am the captain, I was going through charts (lots associated with vancouver back course) to find the appropriate ILS chart. While my head was down the first officer pushed the nose over to get back to our assigned altitude of 14000 ft. We had reached 14500 ft. Apparently his head was down doing exactly the same thing. No call from ATC no incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DH8 IN CRUISE, BOTH FLC LOOKING FOR APCH PLATES DIDN'T NOTICE ACFT CLBING UNTIL 500 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED. ACFT WAS RETURNED TO ASSIGNED WITH NO COMMENT FROM ATC.

Narrative: SOME ARPTS HAVE SO MANY ARR, DEP AND LET DOWN CHARTS. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE FEWER AND CLEARER CHARTS, EVEN IF SOME LESS IMPORTANT INFO IS REMOVED. YOU CAN BE GIVEN SO MUCH INFO, YOU MISS WHAT'S IMPORTANT. THE ACFT AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND MODES SELECTED PROPERLY. THE ACFT IS A DASH 8 EQUIPPED WITH A SP28000 AFCS. I AM THE CAPT, I WAS GOING THROUGH CHARTS (LOTS ASSOCIATED WITH VANCOUVER BC) TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE ILS CHART. WHILE MY HEAD WAS DOWN THE FO PUSHED THE NOSE OVER TO GET BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT. WE HAD REACHED 14500 FT. APPARENTLY HIS HEAD WAS DOWN DOING EXACTLY THE SAME THING. NO CALL FROM ATC NO INCIDENT.

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.