Narrative:

Cleared from mexico city via 'rioja 1A' departure (different from flight panned departure, requiring FMC modification). Altitude clearance FL350 with published restr of 15000 ft until 52 DME apn VOR. This restr was missed by PF until ATC pointed out altitude deviation. Questioned ATC on whether to descend to restr altitude, answer was no, continue climb to filed altitude. Contributing factors: PNF distracted by manual tuning, multiple navaids and radials, since FMC not tracking departure route accurately, resulting in inadequate xchks. Published departure profile on aeronautical chart cluttered, ie, numerous courses shown depending on transitions making altitude restr difficult to pick out at first glance. FMC stored departure route not having speed restr (250 KTS below 18000 ft 30 NM radius) requiring autoplt level change mode while reprogramming climb speed just when altitude restr reached and missed. Classic case of automation becoming a distraction rather than help which was created by inadequate briefing of departure procedure which was changed by clearance delivery. Must stay ahead of airplane regardless of automation or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE FMC AND RTE PLANNING PROBS AFTER CLRNC AMENDED WITH ALT OVERSHOT BY DEP CLBING B737 FLT CREW OUT OF MMMX, FO.

Narrative: CLRED FROM MEXICO CITY VIA 'RIOJA 1A' DEP (DIFFERENT FROM FLT PANNED DEP, REQUIRING FMC MODIFICATION). ALT CLRNC FL350 WITH PUBLISHED RESTR OF 15000 FT UNTIL 52 DME APN VOR. THIS RESTR WAS MISSED BY PF UNTIL ATC POINTED OUT ALTDEV. QUESTIONED ATC ON WHETHER TO DSND TO RESTR ALT, ANSWER WAS NO, CONTINUE CLB TO FILED ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PNF DISTRACTED BY MANUAL TUNING, MULTIPLE NAVAIDS AND RADIALS, SINCE FMC NOT TRACKING DEP RTE ACCURATELY, RESULTING IN INADEQUATE XCHKS. PUBLISHED DEP PROFILE ON AERO CHART CLUTTERED, IE, NUMEROUS COURSES SHOWN DEPENDING ON TRANSITIONS MAKING ALT RESTR DIFFICULT TO PICK OUT AT FIRST GLANCE. FMC STORED DEP RTE NOT HAVING SPD RESTR (250 KTS BELOW 18000 FT 30 NM RADIUS) REQUIRING AUTOPLT LEVEL CHANGE MODE WHILE REPROGRAMMING CLB SPD JUST WHEN ALT RESTR REACHED AND MISSED. CLASSIC CASE OF AUTOMATION BECOMING A DISTR RATHER THAN HELP WHICH WAS CREATED BY INADEQUATE BRIEFING OF DEP PROC WHICH WAS CHANGED BY CLRNC DELIVERY. MUST STAY AHEAD OF AIRPLANE REGARDLESS OF AUTOMATION OR NOT.

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.