Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Training / Qualification; Workload; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Company Policy; Human Factors
Briefed the RUUDY 6 Departure from runway 24 at TEB. My technique for automation is to pre-arm VNAV and above 400' select VSPEED; then checking that 1500' is displayed in the VNAV altitude window on my PFD (Primary Flight Display). The Pilot Flying (PF)'s technique was to select CWS (Control Wheel Steering) on the yoke; then check the VNAV window displays 1500'. The PF briefed using his technique and I could back him up with VSPEED after 400'. Following a normal takeoff and after flaps up; I selected VSPEED and checked to make sure the VNAV capture altitude was 1500'; and it was. Frequency change to departure and PF called for the autopilot at about 1000'. Shortly after the autopilot was engaged we got a TA alert; and my attention was outside to locate the traffic. Then I heard the autopilot disengage warning; and observed the PF stopping the climb at 1760'; then descending back to 1500'. As we were descending the departure controller reminded us to make sure we were at the proper altitude because he had traffic at 2500'. The TA stopped when the PF reversed the aircraft vector. The autopilot did not level at 1500' on the initial climb so the PF disengaged the autopilot and returned to 1500'. One explanation for the VNAV not capturing; would be if I selected VNAV instead of VSPEED above 400'. This would have canceled VNAV and since the PF had selected CWS; the VNAV capture altitude would still be indicating 1500'; thus negating my technique of checking the VNAV altitude for confirmation that VNAV was armed. Checking the Flight Mode Annunciator would have confirmed the VNAV was armed/not armed. The RUUDY departure is time compressed and the margin for correcting avionics errors is small. Also the Pilot Monitoring can get task saturated with configuration changes; flows; radio changes and selecting avionics modes. My choice from now on will be to go down a level in automation and set in 1500'. Then the takeoff and departure avionics sequence will be the same as we do on 99 percent of our takeoff/departures.
Pilot reported exceeding climb clearance altitude after departure due to a breakdown in crew coordination.