Altitude overshoot leaving anc, ak. Initial airport assignment was unusual and traffic was an issue.

Attributes
ACN	480090
Time
Date	200007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anc.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	480090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon departure from anc airport, we were cleared to 3000 ft. At 3300 ft the altitude alert sounded. The aircraft was immediately returned to our clearance altitude of 3000 ft. The extent of the deviation was approximately 400 ft. There were no comments from departure control. At the time of the occurrence the crew was attempting to sort out visually a number of light aircraft in the vicinity. This, I believe, was the major contributing factor. A secondary contributing factor could possibly be that normally on departure air carrier aircraft are cleared to FL200. This situation illustrates the need to constantly maintain situational awareness and crew discipline in all phases of flight. Strict adherence to our sopa could have obviously precluded this situation from happening.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOOT LEAVING ANC, AK. INITIAL ARPT ASSIGNMENT WAS UNUSUAL AND TFC WAS AN ISSUE.

Narrative: UPON DEP FROM ANC ARPT, WE WERE CLRED TO 3000 FT. AT 3300 FT THE ALT ALERT SOUNDED. THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO OUR CLRNC ALT OF 3000 FT. THE EXTENT OF THE DEV WAS APPROX 400 FT. THERE WERE NO COMMENTS FROM DEP CTL. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE THE CREW WAS ATTEMPTING TO SORT OUT VISUALLY A NUMBER OF LIGHT ACFT IN THE VICINITY. THIS, I BELIEVE, WAS THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. A SECONDARY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR COULD POSSIBLY BE THAT NORMALLY ON DEP ACR ACFT ARE CLRED TO FL200. THIS SIT ILLUSTRATES THE NEED TO CONSTANTLY MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CREW DISCIPLINE IN ALL PHASES OF FLT. STRICT ADHERENCE TO OUR SOPA COULD HAVE OBVIOUSLY PRECLUDED THIS SIT FROM HAPPENING.

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.