Narrative:

I was the PF and, to be honest, I can't figure out how this happened. We were departing runway with a right turn to 360 degrees. After beginning the turn, cleaning the flaps up and rolling out to a revised heading, the first officer said 'altitude, altitude.' I had passed through 4000 ft (clearance limit) and was passing 4300 ft. I stopped the ascent at 4400 and descended back down to 4000 ft. Controller said nothing. Perhaps there were a few contributing factors. Our company operates a few different variations of the B737. Depending on the schedule, one may not see (in this case) a newer B737 for months. Nevertheless, any given pairing may contain all of the different variations on any day. Each has different characteristics, considerations, EFIS/non-EFIS and degrees of EFIS, panels and switches in different places, etc. I bring this up only because I remember wanting to turn on the radar to take a look ahead and having to reach in different places. I vaguely remember the 'thousand ft' call ('3000 ft 4000'), but the radar, clean-up, amended heading and performance of the aircraft may have been sufficient distrs to bust the altitude. This was also the first flight with a new first officer (different) as he had just joined us on day #3 of a 4 day pairing. I don't admit to liking the possibility of flying different derivatives of a model, the most recent of which we, as a group, don't get to fly often enough to develop a 'feel' for the aircraft. Having said that, I must also say there was no excuse for the bust.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CAPT ATTRIBUTED AN ALT BUST WHEN DEPARTING ZZZ TO THE COMPANY'S REQUIREMENT THAT CREWS FLY DIFFERENT SERIES OF THE SAME ACFT WHICH HAVE VARYING FLT DECK LAYOUTS.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF AND, TO BE HONEST, I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW THIS HAPPENED. WE WERE DEPARTING RWY WITH A R TURN TO 360 DEGS. AFTER BEGINNING THE TURN, CLEANING THE FLAPS UP AND ROLLING OUT TO A REVISED HDG, THE FO SAID 'ALT, ALT.' I HAD PASSED THROUGH 4000 FT (CLRNC LIMIT) AND WAS PASSING 4300 FT. I STOPPED THE ASCENT AT 4400 AND DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 4000 FT. CTLR SAID NOTHING. PERHAPS THERE WERE A FEW CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. OUR COMPANY OPERATES A FEW DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THE B737. DEPENDING ON THE SCHEDULE, ONE MAY NOT SEE (IN THIS CASE) A NEWER B737 FOR MONTHS. NEVERTHELESS, ANY GIVEN PAIRING MAY CONTAIN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS ON ANY DAY. EACH HAS DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS, CONSIDERATIONS, EFIS/NON-EFIS AND DEGREES OF EFIS, PANELS AND SWITCHES IN DIFFERENT PLACES, ETC. I BRING THIS UP ONLY BECAUSE I REMEMBER WANTING TO TURN ON THE RADAR TO TAKE A LOOK AHEAD AND HAVING TO REACH IN DIFFERENT PLACES. I VAGUELY REMEMBER THE 'THOUSAND FT' CALL ('3000 FT 4000'), BUT THE RADAR, CLEAN-UP, AMENDED HDG AND PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT MAY HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT DISTRS TO BUST THE ALT. THIS WAS ALSO THE FIRST FLT WITH A NEW FO (DIFFERENT) AS HE HAD JUST JOINED US ON DAY #3 OF A 4 DAY PAIRING. I DON'T ADMIT TO LIKING THE POSSIBILITY OF FLYING DIFFERENT DERIVATIVES OF A MODEL, THE MOST RECENT OF WHICH WE, AS A GROUP, DON'T GET TO FLY OFTEN ENOUGH TO DEVELOP A 'FEEL' FOR THE ACFT. HAVING SAID THAT, I MUST ALSO SAY THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THE BUST.

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.