Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Human Factors
We departed ZZZ. We had received a short-range clearance via the ZZZZZ1 Departure Procedure to the ZZZ1 VOR with a climb to 9;000 and as part of the clearance; told to expect filed route and altitude within 10 minutes …. The routing I had filed was ZZZ ZZZZZ1 ZZZ1 ZZZ2.The copilot is a very experienced pilot; but new to both the aircraft and the older avionics in the aircraft. During the climb; we were given a heading of 340 degrees and cleared to climb to 12;000 feet MSL. Shortly afterwards; we were issued our 'filed route' with the exception that ATC added ZZZ3 and ZZZ3 005/060 to the route prior to ZZZ4 and to climb to 14;000 feet and a new heading was issued to intercept the ZZZ3 005 radial. The aircraft is equipped with older EFIS and FMS. We were climbing very quickly and somehow we missed selecting the altitude preselect arm. We had briefed the need to always arm and altitude selector with each and every change in altitude and to also verify that it was armed 1000' prior to the preselected altitude. I realized that we were probably close to intercepting the assigned radial and rather than ask my copilot to set things up in an FMS that he was still unfamiliar with; I put my head down to program the FMS with the new routing. The copilot called out the altitude deviation as we were going through 14;300 at a high rate of climb. It took another couple of hundred feet to arrest the rate of climb and work our way back to 14;000 feet.I believe that there were several factors involved in this incident. First and foremost; as PIC; I simply failed to properly manage my inexperienced (in that aircraft) copilot. I failed to follow the principle of AVIATE; NAVIGATE and COMMUNICATE.Contributing factors were that we were both rusty - our flying had been significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 quarantines. [X] days before the incident we had flown the aircraft [X] hours on a series of test flights. Prior to that; the last time we had flown the aircraft was over two months ago.Additionally; the Tower personnel at ZZZ could have issued a more appropriate short-range clearance out of ZZZ. I have received the 'ZZZ3 ZZZ3005/060...' routing many times in the past for northbound flights out of the ZZZ4 area when departing out of ZZZ5 which is north of ZZZ4. However; this was my first flight northbound out of ZZZ which is south of ZZZ2. In the past; on departures out of ZZZ to the South; East and West; the clearance received when contacting ZZZ4 Approach was actually the same as what I had filed. I know that this information is available to the ATC staff at the ZZZ Tower; or should be; because after the fact; I checked my email and discovered that [company] had sent me an email giving me the 'Expected ATC Routing' for the flight that included the 'ZZZ3 ZZZ3005/060' between ZZZ1 and ZZZ2. Having this information included in the 'expect...' clearance issued prior to departure would allow flight crews to program their nav systems prior to takeoff. It is a very simple thing that reduces workload and would therefore enhance safety.Finally; as a flight crew; we debriefed the event and discussed the appropriate techniques and safeguards that we need to strictly follow as we resume flying.
Pilot reported experiencing an altitude deviation during departure. Reporter cited routing clearance issues and lack of flying due to the COVID-19 pandemic as contributing factors.