A C310 PLT DISTRACTED BY THE CLR WX FAILED TO MAINTAIN 1500 FT UNTIL 4.5 DME ON THE TEB 5 AND CLBED TO 2000 FT.

Narrative

DEPARTING TEB; NJ; RWY 24; WX WAS CLR WITH 20 MILES VISIBILITY AND DEP TFC WAS LIGHT. TEB 5 DEP CALLS FOR RWY HEADING UNTIL REACHING 1500 FT; THEN R HEADING TO 280 DEGS (DME EQUIPPED ACFT) MAINTAIN 1500 FT UNTIL PASSING 4.5 DME OF TEB; THEN CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT. AFTER TURNING R TO 280 DEGS; I FAILED TO MAINTAIN 1500 FT AND STARTED TO CLB TO 2000 FT. DEP CTL CALLED AND ASKED WHAT ALT I WAS AT AND I TOLD HIM 1800 FT. HE ASKED IF I KNOW WHAT THE PROC CALLED FOR AND I TOLD HIM A R TURN AT 1500 FT TO A HEADING OF 280 DEGS AND THEN CLB TO 2000 FT. I'VE FLOWN THIS DEP MANY TIMES AND HAD ALWAYS DELAYED STARTING THE CLB TO 2000 FT UNTIL 4.5 MILES FROM TEB. I HAD READ THE DEP PROC PRIOR TO TAKEOFF; BUT I COMPLETELY FORGOT THE 4.5 MILES RESTR PRIOR TO CLBING FROM 1500 FT TO 2000 FT. I'VE GIVEN THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT AS TO WHY THE MENTAL ERROR. THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN THINK OF WAS THAT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CLR DAY AND I WAS NOT AS FOCUSED ON THE PROC LIKE I WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THE WX WAS IFR. WITH OVER 5500 HRS OF FLYING; MOSTLY ON IFR FLT PLANS; I CAN'T RECALL BUSTING AN ALT. I'VE COMMITTED MYSELF TO FLYING PROFESSIONALLY AND TO LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. IFR DEPS IN VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE FOLLOWED (FOCUSED) AS IF THE DEP WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS.