A BE20 pilot, departing den, overshot assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	534350
Time
Date	200112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : den.vor
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 12900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Super King Air 200/Huron
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	534350
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Turbulence during climb was light (quite normal here) and my nervous passenger worked herself into a hyperventilating panic. As she grabbed my shoulder, I engaged autoplt. I failed to verify that the altitude preselect/capture mode engaged as I tried to calm her and free my shoulder. In her grip, I climbed through 12000 ft and continued to 12900 ft accidentally. My clearance was to climb to 12000 ft. The controller queried my altitude. I corrected immediately. No loss of separation occurred and the controller was calm. I was quite surprised, but relieved. He cleared us higher and in the smooth air above I calmed my passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE20 PLT, DEPARTING DEN, OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: TURB DURING CLB WAS LIGHT (QUITE NORMAL HERE) AND MY NERVOUS PAX WORKED HERSELF INTO A HYPERVENTILATING PANIC. AS SHE GRABBED MY SHOULDER, I ENGAGED AUTOPLT. I FAILED TO VERIFY THAT THE ALT PRESELECT/CAPTURE MODE ENGAGED AS I TRIED TO CALM HER AND FREE MY SHOULDER. IN HER GRIP, I CLBED THROUGH 12000 FT AND CONTINUED TO 12900 FT ACCIDENTALLY. MY CLRNC WAS TO CLB TO 12000 FT. THE CTLR QUERIED MY ALT. I CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED AND THE CTLR WAS CALM. I WAS QUITE SURPRISED, BUT RELIEVED. HE CLRED US HIGHER AND IN THE SMOOTH AIR ABOVE I CALMED MY PAX.

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.