Flight crew overshoot assigned altitude due to distraction.

Attributes
ACN	525370
Time
Date	200109
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdc.artcc
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 528
ASRS Report	525370
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

ATC had cleared us to FL190, first officer flying. I called 1000 ft to go climbing through FL180. At FL193, got altitude alert caution. The 3 of us in cockpit had been talking, and first officer was hand-flying climb out. He pushed the nose over and went back down to FL190. ATC queried us if we were cleared to FL190. I reported yes and were going back to it. No one was in area and no other problems. Was a lack of attention by person flying to miss leveloff altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OVERSHOOT ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO DISTR.

Narrative: ATC HAD CLRED US TO FL190, FO FLYING. I CALLED 1000 FT TO GO CLBING THROUGH FL180. AT FL193, GOT ALT ALERT CAUTION. THE 3 OF US IN COCKPIT HAD BEEN TALKING, AND FO WAS HAND-FLYING CLBOUT. HE PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND WENT BACK DOWN TO FL190. ATC QUERIED US IF WE WERE CLRED TO FL190. I RPTED YES AND WERE GOING BACK TO IT. NO ONE WAS IN AREA AND NO OTHER PROBS. WAS A LACK OF ATTN BY PERSON FLYING TO MISS LEVELOFF ALT.

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.