Narrative:

The flight was scheduled as a pilot trainer and airlift from NAS glenview (nbu) to NAS nhz to msp and return. There were numerous aircraft discrepancies during preflight. Takeoff was 45 mins late. Shortly after takeoff the autoplt failed (one of the P/F disc). The mission would have to be hand flown in entirety. No further problems to nhz. Departed nbu XA30 arrived nhz XD30. Departed nhz to msp at XE30. Shortly after takeoff we lost the only edc (departed with only one) that required a descent to 10000'. The flight continued to msp hand flown around cumulus clouds and storms. Flight arrived msp XH30, 1 1/2 hours late, and requiring fuel (not originally planned). Flight attempted departure around I15. #3 engine during start stagnated. Second attempt was a hot start. Both starts were attempted with a strong tail wind. We tried a third time into the wind. We got a good start, but the start valve failed to close, required an emergency shutdown. We returned to the navy ramp to look at the engine. We felt the start valve failed to close because of excess heat. We allowed the engine to cool to ambient. Following start was overtemp. Turned aircraft into wind more. Next start ok, but start valve wouldn't close again. My engineer (also a jet engine mechanic) wanted to cool the engine 1 more time and adjust the temperature datum control and try 1 more start. This start was successful. We departed msp at XK30, a cold front was approaching, windy. Takeoff was abrupt. Light weight, cold and windy, aircraft climbed at a much greater rate than usual. Departure SID was msp 2, climb to 5000' and rv to course, right heading. Right after lift off tower switched us to departure and they gave us a left turn to 120 degrees. We departed runway 29L. I fixated on my D/G and attitude indicator, failing to scan the altimeter. We went through 5000' to 5800'. Passing 5000' my copilot made a call to departure and stated passing 5000'. Departure asked what altitude we were climbing to. He wasn't thinking about our cleared altitude either. The spc does not have an altitude alert system. Besides the copilot, the F/east and a cockpit observer with headphones on. Both missed the altitude deviation. After arresting ascent we started a descent to 5000'. Departure stated he registered our altitude at 5800' and reclred us to 17000'. He changed our frequency and made no comment about further action. Preflight for mission was XX00. Deviation occurred at XK30, 13 1/2 hours later. Thus far the mission was difficult, the crew was very tired. The crew expected to stay at msp mechanically down. When the aircraft came up their euphoria caused them to let their guard down. Being overtired caused the fail of instrument scan and the ability of the crew to properly back up the pilot at the controls. The flight landed nbu at XL45, end of mission, no further incident. The edc was reserviced at msp allowing normal pressurization on the last leg.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL SPC ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMB.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED AS A PLT TRAINER AND AIRLIFT FROM NAS GLENVIEW (NBU) TO NAS NHZ TO MSP AND RETURN. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT DISCREPANCIES DURING PREFLT. TKOF WAS 45 MINS LATE. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE AUTOPLT FAILED (ONE OF THE P/F DISC). THE MISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE HAND FLOWN IN ENTIRETY. NO FURTHER PROBS TO NHZ. DEPARTED NBU XA30 ARRIVED NHZ XD30. DEPARTED NHZ TO MSP AT XE30. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE LOST THE ONLY EDC (DEPARTED WITH ONLY ONE) THAT REQUIRED A DSCNT TO 10000'. THE FLT CONTINUED TO MSP HAND FLOWN AROUND CUMULUS CLOUDS AND STORMS. FLT ARRIVED MSP XH30, 1 1/2 HRS LATE, AND REQUIRING FUEL (NOT ORIGINALLY PLANNED). FLT ATTEMPTED DEP AROUND I15. #3 ENG DURING START STAGNATED. SECOND ATTEMPT WAS A HOT START. BOTH STARTS WERE ATTEMPTED WITH A STRONG TAIL WIND. WE TRIED A THIRD TIME INTO THE WIND. WE GOT A GOOD START, BUT THE START VALVE FAILED TO CLOSE, REQUIRED AN EMER SHUTDOWN. WE RETURNED TO THE NAVY RAMP TO LOOK AT THE ENG. WE FELT THE START VALVE FAILED TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF EXCESS HEAT. WE ALLOWED THE ENG TO COOL TO AMBIENT. FOLLOWING START WAS OVERTEMP. TURNED ACFT INTO WIND MORE. NEXT START OK, BUT START VALVE WOULDN'T CLOSE AGAIN. MY ENGINEER (ALSO A JET ENG MECH) WANTED TO COOL THE ENG 1 MORE TIME AND ADJUST THE TEMP DATUM CTL AND TRY 1 MORE START. THIS START WAS SUCCESSFUL. WE DEPARTED MSP AT XK30, A COLD FRONT WAS APCHING, WINDY. TKOF WAS ABRUPT. LIGHT WT, COLD AND WINDY, ACFT CLBED AT A MUCH GREATER RATE THAN USUAL. DEP SID WAS MSP 2, CLB TO 5000' AND RV TO COURSE, RIGHT HDG. RIGHT AFTER LIFT OFF TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP AND THEY GAVE US A LEFT TURN TO 120 DEGS. WE DEPARTED RWY 29L. I FIXATED ON MY D/G AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR, FAILING TO SCAN THE ALTIMETER. WE WENT THROUGH 5000' TO 5800'. PASSING 5000' MY COPLT MADE A CALL TO DEP AND STATED PASSING 5000'. DEP ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE CLBING TO. HE WASN'T THINKING ABOUT OUR CLRED ALT EITHER. THE SPC DOES NOT HAVE AN ALT ALERT SYS. BESIDES THE COPLT, THE F/E AND A COCKPIT OBSERVER WITH HEADPHONES ON. BOTH MISSED THE ALT DEVIATION. AFTER ARRESTING ASCENT WE STARTED A DSCNT TO 5000'. DEP STATED HE REGISTERED OUR ALT AT 5800' AND RECLRED US TO 17000'. HE CHANGED OUR FREQ AND MADE NO COMMENT ABOUT FURTHER ACTION. PREFLT FOR MISSION WAS XX00. DEVIATION OCCURRED AT XK30, 13 1/2 HRS LATER. THUS FAR THE MISSION WAS DIFFICULT, THE CREW WAS VERY TIRED. THE CREW EXPECTED TO STAY AT MSP MECHANICALLY DOWN. WHEN THE ACFT CAME UP THEIR EUPHORIA CAUSED THEM TO LET THEIR GUARD DOWN. BEING OVERTIRED CAUSED THE FAIL OF INSTRUMENT SCAN AND THE ABILITY OF THE CREW TO PROPERLY BACK UP THE PLT AT THE CTLS. THE FLT LANDED NBU AT XL45, END OF MISSION, NO FURTHER INCIDENT. THE EDC WAS RESERVICED AT MSP ALLOWING NORMAL PRESSURIZATION ON THE LAST LEG.

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.