Air carrier flight crew experiences altitude overshoot in climb departing iah.

Attributes
ACN	462880
Time
Date	200002
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	462880
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While climbing out of iah we were initially cleared to 4000 ft. We were handed off to departure control passing 3000 ft. Departure then cleared us direct to stell intersection and told us to maintain 4000 ft and no speed limit. I entered direct stell into the FMS and looked up just in time to see my first officer passing 4000 ft and pushing the nose over. I helped him push over and level at 4000 ft. The highest we were at the most deviation was 4280-4300 ft. I feel a contributing factor was my first officer being multi-tasked by ATC while leveling off in a high density traffic area. The iah controller was saturated by an outgoing block of departures and also the 'no speed limit below 10000 ft' has often done more harm than good, creating log jams and bottle necks and confusion in both pilots and controllers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC EXPERIENCES ALT OVERSHOOT IN CLB DEPARTING IAH.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT OF IAH WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO 4000 FT. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL PASSING 3000 FT. DEP THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO STELL INTXN AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT AND NO SPD LIMIT. I ENTERED DIRECT STELL INTO THE FMS AND LOOKED UP JUST IN TIME TO SEE MY FO PASSING 4000 FT AND PUSHING THE NOSE OVER. I HELPED HIM PUSH OVER AND LEVEL AT 4000 FT. THE HIGHEST WE WERE AT THE MOST DEV WAS 4280-4300 FT. I FEEL A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS MY FO BEING MULTI-TASKED BY ATC WHILE LEVELING OFF IN A HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA. THE IAH CTLR WAS SATURATED BY AN OUTGOING BLOCK OF DEPS AND ALSO THE 'NO SPD LIMIT BELOW 10000 FT' HAS OFTEN DONE MORE HARM THAN GOOD, CREATING LOG JAMS AND BOTTLE NECKS AND CONFUSION IN BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS.

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.