Narrative:

I was at 8000' proceeding northwest on V163 toward three rivers VOR and was given a change in my routing after three rivers from V163 to V568. Then I was given a change in altitude to 10000' for the stated reason of 'conflicting traffic.' I punched the altitude hold button when I reached 10000', and looked at my chart to check the new heading. I should have made sure that the hold did engage when I punched it. I was somewhere around 100' above the target altitude. My attention was captured by a flight of 2 MTR's, bearing down on my at my 10 O'clock position. I looked at them rather than the altimeter, so I continued to climb. The MTR were slightly above me and looked like they would cross just in front of me--which they did. Just as they achieved their nearest proximity, ZHU called and asked that I verify I was at 10000'. I had climbed through the assigned altitude by slightly more than 200'. I replied that I was slightly above and correcting. The altitude deviation was my error. I got the distinct impression that the main concern of center was cya. They did not warn of the conflicting traffic. I understand that the primary responsibility is mine to see and avoid. I also figure that military flts are not under the control of center, but the reason for ATC is to avoid collisions and that fact makes it seem to me to be even more important for center personnel keep close track of military targets when they are near arwys. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback made to explain duplicate report had been received and also why there was a short delay in getting identify slips back to the reporters. Reporter said he understood why the ARTCC radar controller wanted an altitude confirmation, even though he was mode C equipped, but still thinks a traffic advisory would have been more help to him at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMB AND LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN REPORTER GA-SMA AND 2 MTR'S.

Narrative: I WAS AT 8000' PROCEEDING NW ON V163 TOWARD THREE RIVERS VOR AND WAS GIVEN A CHANGE IN MY ROUTING AFTER THREE RIVERS FROM V163 TO V568. THEN I WAS GIVEN A CHANGE IN ALT TO 10000' FOR THE STATED REASON OF 'CONFLICTING TFC.' I PUNCHED THE ALT HOLD BUTTON WHEN I REACHED 10000', AND LOOKED AT MY CHART TO CHK THE NEW HDG. I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT THE HOLD DID ENGAGE WHEN I PUNCHED IT. I WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 100' ABOVE THE TARGET ALT. MY ATTN WAS CAPTURED BY A FLT OF 2 MTR'S, BEARING DOWN ON MY AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS. I LOOKED AT THEM RATHER THAN THE ALTIMETER, SO I CONTINUED TO CLB. THE MTR WERE SLIGHTLY ABOVE ME AND LOOKED LIKE THEY WOULD CROSS JUST IN FRONT OF ME--WHICH THEY DID. JUST AS THEY ACHIEVED THEIR NEAREST PROX, ZHU CALLED AND ASKED THAT I VERIFY I WAS AT 10000'. I HAD CLBED THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT BY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 200'. I REPLIED THAT I WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND CORRECTING. THE ALT DEVIATION WAS MY ERROR. I GOT THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT THE MAIN CONCERN OF CENTER WAS CYA. THEY DID NOT WARN OF THE CONFLICTING TFC. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS MINE TO SEE AND AVOID. I ALSO FIGURE THAT MIL FLTS ARE NOT UNDER THE CTL OF CENTER, BUT THE REASON FOR ATC IS TO AVOID COLLISIONS AND THAT FACT MAKES IT SEEM TO ME TO BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR CENTER PERSONNEL KEEP CLOSE TRACK OF MIL TARGETS WHEN THEY ARE NEAR ARWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK MADE TO EXPLAIN DUPLICATE RPT HAD BEEN RECEIVED AND ALSO WHY THERE WAS A SHORT DELAY IN GETTING IDENT SLIPS BACK TO THE REPORTERS. RPTR SAID HE UNDERSTOOD WHY THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR WANTED AN ALT CONFIRMATION, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS MODE C EQUIPPED, BUT STILL THINKS A TFC ADVISORY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELP TO HIM AT THE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.