Narrative:

When departure washington national (dca) off of runway 3, we were climbing to an assigned altitude of 4000 ft. Departure control called us for a heading change. As I was looking down to change the heading and frequency, I heard the altitude alert chime indicating we were over our selected and assigned altitude by 250 ft. I told the captain (the PF) we were to maintain 4000 ft. He immediately descended back down. Our altitude deviation was +700 ft (4700 ft MSL). The captain thought that during the last radio call we had been assigned 9000 ft as is normally the case at that time and distance on the departure. The altitude deviation was caused by noncompliance with company policy. The PNF is to put the altitude assigned in the altitude alerter and confirm the PF heard it. In this case, the captain thought 9000 ft had been assigned and that I had not had time to put it in the altitude window. He elected to go through the set altitude at a fast climb rate to get out of the turbulence. This contributed to the amount of the excursion. Secondly, familiarity and complacency with normal departure procedure and altitudes contributed to the event. Since 9000 ft is normally given at that point in time, the captain erroneously thought that was part of the last radio call.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR BA41 FLC CLBED ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE CAPT MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: WHEN DEP WASHINGTON NATIONAL (DCA) OFF OF RWY 3, WE WERE CLBING TO AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT. DEP CTL CALLED US FOR A HEADING CHANGE. AS I WAS LOOKING DOWN TO CHANGE THE HEADING AND FREQUENCY, I HEARD THE ALT ALERT CHIME INDICATING WE WERE OVER OUR SELECTED AND ASSIGNED ALT BY 250 FT. I TOLD THE CAPT (THE PF) WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. HE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED BACK DOWN. OUR ALT DEV WAS +700 FT (4700 FT MSL). THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT DURING THE LAST RADIO CALL WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 9000 FT AS IS NORMALLY THE CASE AT THAT TIME AND DISTANCE ON THE DEP. THE ALT DEV WAS CAUSED BY NONCOMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY. THE PNF IS TO PUT THE ALT ASSIGNED IN THE ALT ALERTER AND CONFIRM THE PF HEARD IT. IN THIS CASE, THE CAPT THOUGHT 9000 FT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AND THAT I HAD NOT HAD TIME TO PUT IT IN THE ALT WINDOW. HE ELECTED TO GO THROUGH THE SET ALT AT A FAST CLB RATE TO GET OUT OF THE TURB. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE AMOUNT OF THE EXCURSION. SECONDLY, FAMILIARITY AND COMPLACENCY WITH NORMAL DEP PROC AND ALTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. SINCE 9000 FT IS NORMALLY GIVEN AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE CAPT ERRONEOUSLY THOUGHT THAT WAS PART OF THE LAST RADIO CALL.

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.