B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 642
Distraction; Workload; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
I take full responsibility for this error. When we left the gate I felt alert and ready to accomplish the last flight of the night. We had already been delayed due to ATC constraints and weather in DEN. In these weather conditions everything takes longer. Taxiways were slippery so we had to taxi slowly. Deice took some time and the frequencies were congested; so afterward Ramp took our flight number and promptly forgot about us leading to us being three aircraft behind where we should have taxied out. This isn't a factor but was frustrating. We taxied to 16L and took off after almost an hour from push. We took off in LNAV and VNAV putting FL230 in the window instead of 10;000'; which we would have put in previously for the hold down. I mentally noted the 10;000' level off. Shortly after takeoff in snow; low visibility and high traffic conditions; we hit wake turbulence. It wasn't super significant but it was enough that I was thinking about it beyond its finish and I shouldn't have. I opted to hand fly (biggest mistake). As we reached 10;000'; I was hand flying and following the command bars; we got a TCAS TA and I slowed the climb still remaining on or just below the command bars with LNAV/VNAV and autothrottles on; but hand flying. I looked at my altitude and saw 10;300' and finally remembered that we had a hold-down. I returned to 10;000' while simultaneously hearing ATC ask about our altitude and then giving us a number to call. I have not had an altitude deviation in my career previously. The main factor that could have prevented this was using the appropriate level of automation. After the wake turbulence encounter I should have turned on the autopilot and managed the automation freeing my attention to reference the SID and remember the 10000 ft hold down. Distractions and alertness were contributing factors but could have been better managed.
B737NG First Officer reported overshooting an altitude restriction while hand flying climbing out of DEN after being distracted by a wake turbulence encounter.