AN A310 FREIGHTER CLBS ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALT DURING THE LOOP DEP PROC OUT OF LAX; CA.

Narrative

WE WERE ASSIGNED THE LOOP DEP FROM LAX; CAPT WAS PF AND WAS INITIALLY HAND FLYING THE ACFT. WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL STEP CLBS AND HDG CHANGES AND THEN CLRED 'DIRECT TO LAX VOR; RESUME LOOP 2; MAINTAIN 15000 FT.' AS PER COMPANY PROCS; FO MAKES ALL FMS INPUTS BELOW 10000 FT WHEN CAPT IS FLYING AND VICE VERSA WHEN FO IS FLYING. WHEN WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO LAX VOR; FO MADE A MISTAKE ON THE FMS ENTRY INITIALLY AND THEN WAS ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT IT AS WE APCHED THE LAX VOR. AT APPROX 13700 FT; I PUT THE AUTOPLT ON; CALLED '14000 FT FOR 15000 FT;' ADJUSTED THE HDG SELECT TO 'MANUALLY' FLY THE SID. I DIRECTED MY ATTN TO THE FMS MOMENTARILY TO SEE HOW WE WERE DOING; WHEN I SAW THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD NOT CAPTURED 15000 FT. THE FMS PROB WAS 'SOLVED' AND WE WENT ON OUR WAY WITH NO APPARENT CONFLICT OR QUERY FROM ATC OTHER THAN TO ASK IF WE WERE PROCEEDING OUT OF LAX ON THE DAGGETT TRANSITION. FACTORS AND ERRORS: 'BUSY' DEP; ERROR IN FMS ENTRY; CAPT (PF) GETTING INVOLVED IN FMS PROB INSTEAD OF 'STRICTLY' FLYING THE ACFT AND OBSERVING THE AUTOPLT; AUTOPLT NOT CAPTURING ALT AS IT SHOULD HAVE.