B747-400 flight crew encounters turbulence and overshoots assigned altitude departure ord.

Attributes
ACN	442050
Time
Date	199907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ord.vor
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 13500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	442050
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 960
ASRS Report	442047
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : wake turbulence non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : altitude alert other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The first officer was hand flying the flight from ord. The flight was an unknown distance behind a B747, and assigned 13000 ft by ATC. Approaching 13000 ft, turbulence (probably from the B747) was encountered, which in addition to diverting the pilot's attention from the leveloff to an outside scan for the preceding aircraft, also increased the pitch attitude resulting in an increase climb rate. At approximately 13300 ft the pitch was lowered to a descent attitude, however, the aircraft continued to climb. Further pitch decrease returned the aircraft to 13000 ft. Total altitude overshoot was approximately 450-500 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 FLC ENCOUNTERS TURB AND OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT DEP ORD.

Narrative: THE FO WAS HAND FLYING THE FLT FROM ORD. THE FLT WAS AN UNKNOWN DISTANCE BEHIND A B747, AND ASSIGNED 13000 FT BY ATC. APCHING 13000 FT, TURB (PROBABLY FROM THE B747) WAS ENCOUNTERED, WHICH IN ADDITION TO DIVERTING THE PLT'S ATTN FROM THE LEVELOFF TO AN OUTSIDE SCAN FOR THE PRECEDING ACFT, ALSO INCREASED THE PITCH ATTITUDE RESULTING IN AN INCREASE CLB RATE. AT APPROX 13300 FT THE PITCH WAS LOWERED TO A DSCNT ATTITUDE, HOWEVER, THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB. FURTHER PITCH DECREASE RETURNED THE ACFT TO 13000 FT. TOTAL ALT OVERSHOOT WAS APPROX 450-500 FT.

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.