Narrative:

The captain and I had airlined to ewr on our first day of duty to do a maintenance check flight on an airplane in teb. The airplane had the right engine replaced and we were to fly the airplane to check the new engine. We were briefed by our program manager on what needed to be done on the flight and to be advised that a company ce-750 had an engine failure after an engine replacement. We did a thorough preflight and crew brief. We were cleared for takeoff on the teb 4 departure. The captain was flying and I made the normal callouts. We had briefed the departure procedure twice before takeoff. The departure calls for a climb on runway heading to 1500 ft, then a turn to a heading of 280 degrees. And upon reaching 4.5 DME off teb to climb to 3000 ft, due to our concern of the operation of the new engine, the captain incorrectly started the climb from 1500 ft to 3000 ft after turning to a 280 degree heading. This climb was started prior to 4.5 DME of teb. I had not noticed the deviation because of my attention to the engine instruments and communications with ATC. After our leveloff at 3000 ft at about 5.5 DME from teb, approach called us and said '...be advised that on the SID a climb to 3000 ft should not start until 4.5 DME from teb.' after the flight, our company spoke with ATC who said we had not caused any conflicts but to be aware for future operations. We have done the SID many times before without incident, but our focus on the new engine caused our altitude deviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C650 CREW FLYING A SID, PREMATURELY STARTED CLB TO AN INTERMEDIATE ALT.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I HAD AIRLINED TO EWR ON OUR FIRST DAY OF DUTY TO DO A MAINT CHK FLT ON AN AIRPLANE IN TEB. THE AIRPLANE HAD THE R ENG REPLACED AND WE WERE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO CHK THE NEW ENG. WE WERE BRIEFED BY OUR PROGRAM MGR ON WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE ON THE FLT AND TO BE ADVISED THAT A COMPANY CE-750 HAD AN ENG FAILURE AFTER AN ENG REPLACEMENT. WE DID A THOROUGH PREFLT AND CREW BRIEF. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON THE TEB 4 DEP. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I MADE THE NORMAL CALLOUTS. WE HAD BRIEFED THE DEP PROC TWICE BEFORE TKOF. THE DEP CALLS FOR A CLB ON RWY HDG TO 1500 FT, THEN A TURN TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS. AND UPON REACHING 4.5 DME OFF TEB TO CLB TO 3000 FT, DUE TO OUR CONCERN OF THE OP OF THE NEW ENG, THE CAPT INCORRECTLY STARTED THE CLB FROM 1500 FT TO 3000 FT AFTER TURNING TO A 280 DEG HDG. THIS CLB WAS STARTED PRIOR TO 4.5 DME OF TEB. I HAD NOT NOTICED THE DEV BECAUSE OF MY ATTN TO THE ENG INSTS AND COMS WITH ATC. AFTER OUR LEVELOFF AT 3000 FT AT ABOUT 5.5 DME FROM TEB, APCH CALLED US AND SAID '...BE ADVISED THAT ON THE SID A CLB TO 3000 FT SHOULD NOT START UNTIL 4.5 DME FROM TEB.' AFTER THE FLT, OUR COMPANY SPOKE WITH ATC WHO SAID WE HAD NOT CAUSED ANY CONFLICTS BUT TO BE AWARE FOR FUTURE OPS. WE HAVE DONE THE SID MANY TIMES BEFORE WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT OUR FOCUS ON THE NEW ENG CAUSED OUR ALTDEV.

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.