<< >> NASA ASRS Report 513921, June 2001

An MD80 flight is leveled off 350 ft above its assigned altitude when the first officer, a check airman hand flying the aircraft from the right seat, is distraction with cockpit procedures and navigation tasks 120 mi north of vhp, in.

Attributes
ACN	513921
Time
Date	200106
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : vhp.vortac
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 25350
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc artcc : zbw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	513921
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	514126
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Location: approximately 120 NM north of vhp. I offer this heads up to fellow check airmen as well as line pilots who choose to hand fly throughout the climb. As first officer/PF, I was doing so, but while approaching leveloff, allowed my attention to wander to abeam fix passage, fuel/time notes, and a legs change for 'direct to' downline by the PNF during hand-flown leveloff. My failure to engage autoplt assistance, or at least prioritize appropriately, contributed to fly-through to FL253.5 before re-establishing leveloff. I will redouble my awareness of the extra caution required in workload management while hand flying during climb/descent, and add this issue to xcockpit briefing in each such instance as well. Supplemental information from acn 514126: use the autoplt when the workload requires it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT IS LEVELED OFF 350 FT ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE FO, A CHK AIRMAN HAND FLYING THE ACFT FROM THE R SEAT, IS DISTR WITH COCKPIT PROCS AND NAV TASKS 120 MI N OF VHP, IN.

Narrative: LOCATION: APPROX 120 NM N OF VHP. I OFFER THIS HEADS UP TO FELLOW CHK AIRMEN AS WELL AS LINE PLTS WHO CHOOSE TO HAND FLY THROUGHOUT THE CLB. AS FO/PF, I WAS DOING SO, BUT WHILE APCHING LEVELOFF, ALLOWED MY ATTN TO WANDER TO ABEAM FIX PASSAGE, FUEL/TIME NOTES, AND A LEGS CHANGE FOR 'DIRECT TO' DOWNLINE BY THE PNF DURING HAND-FLOWN LEVELOFF. MY FAILURE TO ENGAGE AUTOPLT ASSISTANCE, OR AT LEAST PRIORITIZE APPROPRIATELY, CONTRIBUTED TO FLY-THROUGH TO FL253.5 BEFORE RE-ESTABLISHING LEVELOFF. I WILL REDOUBLE MY AWARENESS OF THE EXTRA CAUTION REQUIRED IN WORKLOAD MGMNT WHILE HAND FLYING DURING CLB/DSCNT, AND ADD THIS ISSUE TO XCOCKPIT BRIEFING IN EACH SUCH INSTANCE AS WELL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 514126: USE THE AUTOPLT WHEN THE WORKLOAD REQUIRES IT.

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.