Air carrier flight crew distraction, overshooting assigned altitude on departure. No ATC interventio...

Attributes
ACN	394490
Time
Date	199802
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rbl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	controller military : 8 controller radar : 14 flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	394490
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departure climb from sfo, our cleared altitude was changed to FL280 (lower than previously cleared). PNF was consulting with so regarding flight plan altitude and new release, and asked several questions ('where did you guys get that altitude?' etc). As PF, I began searching for information and thinking about where I'd seen a different flight planned altitude. Was startled to hear altitude warning horn (seemingly for first time, this is how distracted I was). I verified my altitude, thinking I was merely approaching my altitude -- only to discover I was climbing past it. Corrected back to FL280, deviation was approximately 360 ft. No word mentioned by ATC, no other aircraft on TCASII. I allowed myself to become distracted. When the captain said he'd never seen our last release, I became fully engaged by his concerns and comments. No one in the cockpit followed company procedure -- by omitting/forgetting the 1000 ft prior call. Our focus never shifted from navigating to aviating.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC DISTR, OVERSHOOTING ASSIGNED ALT ON DEP. NO ATC INTERVENTION.

Narrative: ON DEP CLB FROM SFO, OUR CLRED ALT WAS CHANGED TO FL280 (LOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY CLRED). PNF WAS CONSULTING WITH SO REGARDING FLT PLAN ALT AND NEW RELEASE, AND ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ('WHERE DID YOU GUYS GET THAT ALT?' ETC). AS PF, I BEGAN SEARCHING FOR INFO AND THINKING ABOUT WHERE I'D SEEN A DIFFERENT FLT PLANNED ALT. WAS STARTLED TO HEAR ALT WARNING HORN (SEEMINGLY FOR FIRST TIME, THIS IS HOW DISTRACTED I WAS). I VERIFIED MY ALT, THINKING I WAS MERELY APCHING MY ALT -- ONLY TO DISCOVER I WAS CLBING PAST IT. CORRECTED BACK TO FL280, DEV WAS APPROX 360 FT. NO WORD MENTIONED BY ATC, NO OTHER ACFT ON TCASII. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED. WHEN THE CAPT SAID HE'D NEVER SEEN OUR LAST RELEASE, I BECAME FULLY ENGAGED BY HIS CONCERNS AND COMMENTS. NO ONE IN THE COCKPIT FOLLOWED COMPANY PROC -- BY OMITTING/FORGETTING THE 1000 FT PRIOR CALL. OUR FOCUS NEVER SHIFTED FROM NAVING TO AVIATING.

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.

Air carrier flight crew distraction, overshooting assigned altitude on departure. No ATC intervention.