B777 CAPT AND RELIEF PLT ALERT FO TO ALT OVERSHOOT ON CLBOUT FROM SFO AS FO ALLEGES FOCUS ON DEP CTLR AMENDED SPD CLRNC RESTR.

Narrative

FO WAS FLYING. ABOUT 60 NM SW OF SAC ON VECTOR; SPD RESTR TO 270 KTS AND CLRED TO ALT OF 10000 FT. APCHING 9000 FT; ACKNOWLEDGED 1000 FT TO GO PER COMPANY SOP. FO WAS TEMPORARILY DISTR REACHING 10000 FT AND OVERSHOT CLRED ALT BY APPROX 200 BY SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE RETURNING TO 10000 FT. ALT ALERT SOUNDED AT 10200 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605393: WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM NORCAL DEP TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. APCHING 10000 FT; ATC GAVE US A SPD RESTR NOT TO EXCEED 270 KTS WHICH I SET IN THE MCP. AT APPROX 9800 FT; I NOTICED THAT WE WERE STILL CLBING AT APPROX 2000 FPM. I SAID TO THE FLYING FO; 'YOU'RE CLRED TO 10000 FT.' AT APPROX 9900 FT; THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE FO AND WE WERE STILL CLBING AT 2000 FPM. I SAID '10000 FT' AND MADE A MOTION WITH MY HAND TO LEVEL OFF. AS THE ACFT PASSED THROUGH 10000 FT; BOTH THE RELIEF PLT AND MYSELF SAID 'LEVEL OFF!' THE SENSE OF URGENCY IN OUR VOICES AS WELL AS THE WARNING FROM THE ALT ALERT SYS CAUSED THE FLYING FO TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND AND RETURN THE ACFT TO THE CLRED ALT. THE FO STATED THAT SHE WAS FOCUSED ON THE LAST SPD RESTR ASSIGNED BY ATC RATHER THAN THE RAPIDLY APCHING CLRED ALT. I HAD THOUGHT THAT JUST THE MENTION OF THE ALT ASSIGNMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT FOR THE FO TO RE-FOCUS ATTN ON ALT AWARENESS. THE FO HAD NOT BEEN IN A FLYING SEAT FOR OVER 2 MONTHS. THIS; IN COMBINATION WITH THE DISTR OF THE ATC SPD RESTR CLRNC; WERE PROBABLY THE MOST OBVIOUS FACTORS IN HER FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR RESPOND TO MY FIRST 2 VERBAL COMS.