CL604 flight crew has an altitude deviation during climb.

Attributes
ACN	720084
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ttt.vor
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 18300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Challenger CL604
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other Other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	720084
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 3600
ASRS Report	720498
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory 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:

We were climbing out of dallas; tx; with the autoplt engaged and cleared to 16000 ft with the altitude preselect set to 16000 ft. Passing through 15500 ft on the departure we received a clearance from regional departure to climb to 17000 ft and contact ZFW. I started to set the altitude preselect so that the autoplt would not capture 16000 ft. At that moment the captain spilled soup in his lap and the commotion in the cockpit must have distraction me from setting the altitude preselect to 17000 ft. As I read back the clearance I missed the new frequency and had to ask for it to be repeated. I reset the radio and checked in with center. As I checked in I saw 20200 ft in the altitude preselect and realized I had failed to set the assigned altitude. We were now climbing above 18000 ft and leveled immediately. I was shocked when I saw my mistake and couldn't even remember the assigned altitude. ZFW called departure and confirmed that we had made the mistake and then cleared us to FL230. We were told to contact the supervisor when we landed. I think that the fact that the spill happened at just the wrong time and that I took so long to set the radio both contributed to the deviation. Had I not been distraction I would have set the preselect correctly just as I always do. If the captain had not been distraction he may have caught my error in time to correct it. If I had set the radio on the first try I may have caught the error in time to correct it. The company standard procedures work well and have always required the PNF set the altitude and the PF to check it. In this instance we were both distraction at the same time resulting in the deviation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL604 FLT CREW HAS AN ALTDEV DURING CLB.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT OF DALLAS; TX; WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED AND CLRED TO 16000 FT WITH THE ALT PRESELECT SET TO 16000 FT. PASSING THROUGH 15500 FT ON THE DEP WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM REGIONAL DEP TO CLB TO 17000 FT AND CONTACT ZFW. I STARTED TO SET THE ALT PRESELECT SO THAT THE AUTOPLT WOULD NOT CAPTURE 16000 FT. AT THAT MOMENT THE CAPT SPILLED SOUP IN HIS LAP AND THE COMMOTION IN THE COCKPIT MUST HAVE DISTR ME FROM SETTING THE ALT PRESELECT TO 17000 FT. AS I READ BACK THE CLRNC I MISSED THE NEW FREQ AND HAD TO ASK FOR IT TO BE REPEATED. I RESET THE RADIO AND CHKED IN WITH CTR. AS I CHKED IN I SAW 20200 FT IN THE ALT PRESELECT AND REALIZED I HAD FAILED TO SET THE ASSIGNED ALT. WE WERE NOW CLBING ABOVE 18000 FT AND LEVELED IMMEDIATELY. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I SAW MY MISTAKE AND COULDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE ASSIGNED ALT. ZFW CALLED DEP AND CONFIRMED THAT WE HAD MADE THE MISTAKE AND THEN CLRED US TO FL230. WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT THE SUPVR WHEN WE LANDED. I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT THE SPILL HAPPENED AT JUST THE WRONG TIME AND THAT I TOOK SO LONG TO SET THE RADIO BOTH CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEV. HAD I NOT BEEN DISTR I WOULD HAVE SET THE PRESELECT CORRECTLY JUST AS I ALWAYS DO. IF THE CAPT HAD NOT BEEN DISTR HE MAY HAVE CAUGHT MY ERROR IN TIME TO CORRECT IT. IF I HAD SET THE RADIO ON THE FIRST TRY I MAY HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR IN TIME TO CORRECT IT. THE COMPANY STANDARD PROCS WORK WELL AND HAVE ALWAYS REQUIRED THE PNF SET THE ALT AND THE PF TO CHK IT. IN THIS INSTANCE WE WERE BOTH DISTR AT THE SAME TIME RESULTING IN THE DEV.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.