Flight crew of a B757 overshot assigned departure altitude soon after takeoff on a SID departure due to clearance change and the autothrottles still on takeoff setting and not reduced to climb power. Therefore, it took more time to level off aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	404370
Time
Date	199806
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : pdx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 520
ASRS Report	404370
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20600 flight time type : 1250
ASRS Report	404600
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	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:

While cleaning up, accelerating, and climbing, full power. Departure gave a turn from 060 degrees to 280 degrees. Went from tailwind to 40 KT headwind into the sun. Throttles were idle (autothrottle disconnect) to level off at 2500 ft. Aircraft continued up to 2800 ft before descending momentum took over. Solution: too low leveloff altitude, changing frequencys, aircraft confign, turning, turbulence, windshear, etc. Due to early capture of altitude due to high rate of climb, autothrottles went to throttle hold (takeoff power) because climb thrust wasn't selected yet. Necessitating autothrottle disconnect, pulled to idle. Supplemental information from acn 404600: this was caused by momentary workload saturation due to ATC clearance change and a peculiar function of the AFDS during a low altitude leveloff at a high rate of climb. Solution -- allow SID to be flown as depicted, or at least, educate ATC controllers to give time for the aircraft to be properly configured before making changes to the clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B757 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED DEP ALT SOON AFTER TKOF ON A SID DEP DUE TO CLRNC CHANGE AND THE AUTOTHROTTLES STILL ON TKOF SETTING AND NOT REDUCED TO CLB PWR. THEREFORE, IT TOOK MORE TIME TO LEVEL OFF ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE CLEANING UP, ACCELERATING, AND CLBING, FULL PWR. DEP GAVE A TURN FROM 060 DEGS TO 280 DEGS. WENT FROM TAILWIND TO 40 KT HEADWIND INTO THE SUN. THROTTLES WERE IDLE (AUTOTHROTTLE DISCONNECT) TO LEVEL OFF AT 2500 FT. ACFT CONTINUED UP TO 2800 FT BEFORE DSNDING MOMENTUM TOOK OVER. SOLUTION: TOO LOW LEVELOFF ALT, CHANGING FREQS, ACFT CONFIGN, TURNING, TURB, WINDSHEAR, ETC. DUE TO EARLY CAPTURE OF ALT DUE TO HIGH RATE OF CLB, AUTOTHROTTLES WENT TO THROTTLE HOLD (TKOF PWR) BECAUSE CLB THRUST WASN'T SELECTED YET. NECESSITATING AUTOTHROTTLE DISCONNECT, PULLED TO IDLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 404600: THIS WAS CAUSED BY MOMENTARY WORKLOAD SATURATION DUE TO ATC CLRNC CHANGE AND A PECULIAR FUNCTION OF THE AFDS DURING A LOW ALT LEVELOFF AT A HIGH RATE OF CLB. SOLUTION -- ALLOW SID TO BE FLOWN AS DEPICTED, OR AT LEAST, EDUCATE ATC CTLRS TO GIVE TIME FOR THE ACFT TO BE PROPERLY CONFIGURED BEFORE MAKING CHANGES TO THE CLRNC.

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.