While departing iah, medium large transport overshot assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	80202
Time
Date	198801
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4350
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	80202
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departure, climbing thru 4000 is left turn (just through overcast) went through altitude by 350'. Recognized excursion 4100 but rate of climb precovered readjustment to 4000 without putting passenger in the straps. Following v-bars while performance monitor system inputs, rate of climb exceeded ability to smoothly control altitude. Altitude alert is visible. No aural on this aircraft. Problem arose: high rate of climb. Altitude alert visual. No aural till thru altitude (i.e. No aural warn prior to desired set) other a/C in fleet have similar signal (mixed fleet). Visual alert missed. VMC turning climbs. Missed light blink while outside cockpit. When 4100', climb rate excessive, rather than abrupt movement, smoothly busted and returned to altitude. Factors: reliance on aural/scan performance climb system parameter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE DEPARTING IAH, MLG OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ON DEPARTURE, CLIMBING THRU 4000 IS LEFT TURN (JUST THROUGH OVERCAST) WENT THROUGH ALT BY 350'. RECOGNIZED EXCURSION 4100 BUT RATE OF CLIMB PRECOVERED READJUSTMENT TO 4000 WITHOUT PUTTING PAX IN THE STRAPS. FOLLOWING V-BARS WHILE PERFORMANCE MONITOR SYSTEM INPUTS, RATE OF CLIMB EXCEEDED ABILITY TO SMOOTHLY CONTROL ALTITUDE. ALTITUDE ALERT IS VISIBLE. NO AURAL ON THIS ACFT. PROBLEM AROSE: HIGH RATE OF CLIMB. ALT ALERT VISUAL. NO AURAL TILL THRU ALT (I.E. NO AURAL WARN PRIOR TO DESIRED SET) OTHER A/C IN FLEET HAVE SIMILAR SIGNAL (MIXED FLEET). VISUAL ALERT MISSED. VMC TURNING CLIMBS. MISSED LIGHT BLINK WHILE OUTSIDE COCKPIT. WHEN 4100', CLIMB RATE EXCESSIVE, RATHER THAN ABRUPT MOVEMENT, SMOOTHLY BUSTED AND RETURNED TO ALT. FACTORS: RELIANCE ON AURAL/SCAN PERFORMANCE CLIMB SYSTEM PARAMETER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.