A B737-800 flight crew exceeds assigned altitude by 500 ft while maneuvering around WX.

Attributes
ACN	589138
Time
Date	200307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 14500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Turbulence Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a80.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 560
ASRS Report	589138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 157 flight time total : 10802 flight time type : 4592
ASRS Report	589820
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft exceeded altitude by 500 ft in the climb. Thunderstorm cells were a factor in the climb. We were in a 270 degree turn to stay within the airspace and climb for handoff to center. I was changing the radio frequency when I noticed the altitude at 14200 ft and still climbing. Captain was overloaded with hand-flying the aircraft, turning, leveling and watching the radar for a possible break in the clouds. I immediately said to check altitude and he then peaked out at 14500 ft, then returned to 14000 ft. No traffic conflicts were noted and the controller did not say anything regarding our altitude. I recommend that we should have been using the autoplt because of the numerous distrs and high workload in the terminal area with thunderstorm cells being a factor. Also, if controllers could give radio changes, so they do not occur in conjunction with leveling off would be idealistic, but improbable. Supplemental information from acn 589820: we were cleared to climb to 14000 ft. I flew through 14000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 FLT CREW EXCEEDS ASSIGNED ALT BY 500 FT WHILE MANEUVERING AROUND WX.

Narrative: ACFT EXCEEDED ALT BY 500 FT IN THE CLB. TSTM CELLS WERE A FACTOR IN THE CLB. WE WERE IN A 270 DEG TURN TO STAY WITHIN THE AIRSPACE AND CLB FOR HDOF TO CTR. I WAS CHANGING THE RADIO FREQ WHEN I NOTICED THE ALT AT 14200 FT AND STILL CLBING. CAPT WAS OVERLOADED WITH HAND-FLYING THE ACFT, TURNING, LEVELING AND WATCHING THE RADAR FOR A POSSIBLE BREAK IN THE CLOUDS. I IMMEDIATELY SAID TO CHK ALT AND HE THEN PEAKED OUT AT 14500 FT, THEN RETURNED TO 14000 FT. NO TFC CONFLICTS WERE NOTED AND THE CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING REGARDING OUR ALT. I RECOMMEND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING THE AUTOPLT BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS DISTRS AND HIGH WORKLOAD IN THE TERMINAL AREA WITH TSTM CELLS BEING A FACTOR. ALSO, IF CTLRS COULD GIVE RADIO CHANGES, SO THEY DO NOT OCCUR IN CONJUNCTION WITH LEVELING OFF WOULD BE IDEALISTIC, BUT IMPROBABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 589820: WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO 14000 FT. I FLEW THROUGH 14000 FT.

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.