Flight crew of B727 on climb overshot assigned altitude. First officer caught error just as ATC did.

Attributes
ACN	398630
Time
Date	199804
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	398630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	398632
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 99999 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the first officer on a flight to sju, pr. We had just taken off out of ewr and we were being controled by ZNY. They cleared us up to FL190. The captain was flying and out of FL180 I called the standard FL180 for FL190 (1000 ft check). I then proceeded to work on the GPS. About 1 min later, I looked up and we were at FL195. I immediately called 500 ft high and the captain pushed forward to return to FL190. ATC verbally noted our altitude bust. The captain said he had been preoccupied with a problem on the flight engineer's panel. Supplemental information from acn 398632: I was so, and was performing other duties and was not specifically monitoring altitude at that time. Aural TCASII alert was my first indication of this event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 ON CLB OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT. FO CAUGHT ERROR JUST AS ATC DID.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A FLT TO SJU, PR. WE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF OUT OF EWR AND WE WERE BEING CTLED BY ZNY. THEY CLRED US UP TO FL190. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND OUT OF FL180 I CALLED THE STANDARD FL180 FOR FL190 (1000 FT CHK). I THEN PROCEEDED TO WORK ON THE GPS. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, I LOOKED UP AND WE WERE AT FL195. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 500 FT HIGH AND THE CAPT PUSHED FORWARD TO RETURN TO FL190. ATC VERBALLY NOTED OUR ALT BUST. THE CAPT SAID HE HAD BEEN PREOCCUPIED WITH A PROB ON THE FE'S PANEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 398632: I WAS SO, AND WAS PERFORMING OTHER DUTIES AND WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY MONITORING ALT AT THAT TIME. AURAL TCASII ALERT WAS MY FIRST INDICATION OF THIS EVENT.

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.