Narrative:

On climb out from dca, we were assigned 4000 ft. I was flying the aircraft using raw data (no flight director or autoplt turned on) for practice and scan maintenance. Approaching leveloff at 4000 ft, we got a TA from our TCASII. This diverted my attention from the instrument scan and thus I failed to level at the 4000 ft assignment. After switching to departure frequency, I informed him that I was returning to 4000 ft and that we had a TA. It was his opinion that the TA was caused by our errant climb. The first officer was diverted from the situation by looking for the traffic and he was also on another radio calling our out/off times to our company. This situation could have been avoided if I had turned on the flight director and autoplt. However, since proficiency checks require maneuvers based on raw data, a pilot has to attempt to keep a reasonable scan. The only way that I know to do this is to occasionally turn off the automation and do things the old fashioned way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DO328 FLC CLBED ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT. THE FLC ADMITS TO BEING DISTR AND TO NOT USING THE ACFT'S AUTOFLT SYS DURING A VERY HIGH WORKLOAD DEP PROC.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM DCA, WE WERE ASSIGNED 4000 FT. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT USING RAW DATA (NO FLT DIRECTOR OR AUTOPLT TURNED ON) FOR PRACTICE AND SCAN MAINT. APCHING LEVELOFF AT 4000 FT, WE GOT A TA FROM OUR TCASII. THIS DIVERTED MY ATTN FROM THE INST SCAN AND THUS I FAILED TO LEVEL AT THE 4000 FT ASSIGNMENT. AFTER SWITCHING TO DEP FREQ, I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS RETURNING TO 4000 FT AND THAT WE HAD A TA. IT WAS HIS OPINION THAT THE TA WAS CAUSED BY OUR ERRANT CLB. THE FO WAS DIVERTED FROM THE SIT BY LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND HE WAS ALSO ON ANOTHER RADIO CALLING OUR OUT/OFF TIMES TO OUR COMPANY. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD TURNED ON THE FLT DIRECTOR AND AUTOPLT. HOWEVER, SINCE PROFICIENCY CHKS REQUIRE MANEUVERS BASED ON RAW DATA, A PLT HAS TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP A REASONABLE SCAN. THE ONLY WAY THAT I KNOW TO DO THIS IS TO OCCASIONALLY TURN OFF THE AUTOMATION AND DO THINGS THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.

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.