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.