B737 flight crew with ZNY climbs above assigned altitude during WX avoidance efforts in N90 airspace...

Attributes
ACN	615461
Time
Date	200404
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mxe.vor
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12700
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Turbulence
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon tower : san.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 954
ASRS Report	615461
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight departed phl. WX was IFR with small thunderstorms in the area. We departed runway 9L and turned west on a vector to intercept the mxe 278 degree radial. Our altitude clearance was to 12000 ft. After rolling wings level heading west, passing approximately 9000 ft, we detected a storm cell at 12 O'clock position and 7-8 mi. Just then, phl departure handed us to new york. We had asked to deviate south, but were told to ask new york for this. New york did not answer several queries, so we started a turn south at about the time we started breaking out of the ragged tops and could see the cell. Due to the turbulence and transition from IMC to VMC, our leveloff at 12000 ft was overshot and the aircraft reached 12700 ft before it could be returned to 12000 ft. There was no traffic on the TCASII and new york said nothing. Poor communications, bad WX and the natural tendency to 'see and avoid' contributed to this situation. The aircraft was being hand flown to maintain proficiency. This situation would have been probably mitigated through use of the autoflt system, but I still think that with the turbulence, it too would have overshot the altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW WITH ZNY CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT DURING WX AVOIDANCE EFFORTS IN N90 AIRSPACE.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED PHL. WX WAS IFR WITH SMALL TSTMS IN THE AREA. WE DEPARTED RWY 9L AND TURNED W ON A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE MXE 278 DEG RADIAL. OUR ALT CLRNC WAS TO 12000 FT. AFTER ROLLING WINGS LEVEL HDG W, PASSING APPROX 9000 FT, WE DETECTED A STORM CELL AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 7-8 MI. JUST THEN, PHL DEP HANDED US TO NEW YORK. WE HAD ASKED TO DEVIATE S, BUT WERE TOLD TO ASK NEW YORK FOR THIS. NEW YORK DID NOT ANSWER SEVERAL QUERIES, SO WE STARTED A TURN S AT ABOUT THE TIME WE STARTED BREAKING OUT OF THE RAGGED TOPS AND COULD SEE THE CELL. DUE TO THE TURB AND TRANSITION FROM IMC TO VMC, OUR LEVELOFF AT 12000 FT WAS OVERSHOT AND THE ACFT REACHED 12700 FT BEFORE IT COULD BE RETURNED TO 12000 FT. THERE WAS NO TFC ON THE TCASII AND NEW YORK SAID NOTHING. POOR COMS, BAD WX AND THE NATURAL TENDENCY TO 'SEE AND AVOID' CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT. THE ACFT WAS BEING HAND FLOWN TO MAINTAIN PROFICIENCY. THIS SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROBABLY MITIGATED THROUGH USE OF THE AUTOFLT SYS, BUT I STILL THINK THAT WITH THE TURB, IT TOO WOULD HAVE OVERSHOT THE 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.