Altitude overshoot in climb for air carrier flight results in loss of separation and a TCASII respon...

Attributes
ACN	464253
Time
Date	200002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : azell
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	departure sid : pack 5. rdu
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	464253
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Miss Distance	vertical : 700
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were given FL280 to leveloff. Within 1000 ft of leveloff I checked a frequency on the chart to make sure I was headed in the right direction. The sun was exceptionally bright and blinding me slightly. This caused me to take a little longer finding the information. I was through checking for the frequency at the same time we heard 'traffic' from the TCASII. I looked at the TCASII and altimeter and saw plane (Y) at the same time as we were just then going through FL280. The other plane (Y) was coming from left to right at FL290. I rolled the pitch command on the autoplt to the descent range immediately. The captain did not realize I was using the autoplt to descend. At about 28250 ft we heard 'monitor vertical speed' from the TCASII. The captain said to get the autoplt off then he grabbed the yoke and kicked off the autoplt and pushed hard on the yoke. When the autoplt kicked off it caused a slight pitch up again. I was also holding the yoke at this time. At this time we also heard 'descend, descend' from the TCASII. At this point I could visually see that we were in no danger of coming any closer to the other aircraft (Y), our maximum altitude was 28300 ft, and the other aircraft (Y) was almost directly overhead. I returned our aircraft (X) to FL280 and continued the flight. The approaching aircraft at FL290 was not pointed out to us by ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOOT IN CLB FOR ACR FLT RESULTS IN LOSS OF SEPARATION AND A TCASII RESPONSE.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN FL280 TO LEVELOFF. WITHIN 1000 FT OF LEVELOFF I CHKED A FREQ ON THE CHART TO MAKE SURE I WAS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE SUN WAS EXCEPTIONALLY BRIGHT AND BLINDING ME SLIGHTLY. THIS CAUSED ME TO TAKE A LITTLE LONGER FINDING THE INFO. I WAS THROUGH CHKING FOR THE FREQ AT THE SAME TIME WE HEARD 'TFC' FROM THE TCASII. I LOOKED AT THE TCASII AND ALTIMETER AND SAW PLANE (Y) AT THE SAME TIME AS WE WERE JUST THEN GOING THROUGH FL280. THE OTHER PLANE (Y) WAS COMING FROM L TO R AT FL290. I ROLLED THE PITCH COMMAND ON THE AUTOPLT TO THE DSCNT RANGE IMMEDIATELY. THE CAPT DID NOT REALIZE I WAS USING THE AUTOPLT TO DSND. AT ABOUT 28250 FT WE HEARD 'MONITOR VERT SPD' FROM THE TCASII. THE CAPT SAID TO GET THE AUTOPLT OFF THEN HE GRABBED THE YOKE AND KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND PUSHED HARD ON THE YOKE. WHEN THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF IT CAUSED A SLIGHT PITCH UP AGAIN. I WAS ALSO HOLDING THE YOKE AT THIS TIME. AT THIS TIME WE ALSO HEARD 'DSND, DSND' FROM THE TCASII. AT THIS POINT I COULD VISUALLY SEE THAT WE WERE IN NO DANGER OF COMING ANY CLOSER TO THE OTHER ACFT (Y), OUR MAX ALT WAS 28300 FT, AND THE OTHER ACFT (Y) WAS ALMOST DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. I RETURNED OUR ACFT (X) TO FL280 AND CONTINUED THE FLT. THE APCHING ACFT AT FL290 WAS NOT POINTED OUT TO US BY ATC.

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.

Altitude overshoot in climb for air carrier flight results in loss of separation and a TCASII response.