Narrative:

I sure get tired of filling these forms out--sure am grateful they exist, however!! Ok. So there we were at 10000' circumnaving an area of light-moderate precipitation. As we got abeam of it we entered cloud and a strong updraft materialized quite suddenly. We went directly to 11000-11300'. I called center no less than 6 times to inform him that we were unable to altitude. He finally responded to my calling him with, 'I have other people to talk to.' I responded, 'I thought you might want to hear what I had to say.' meanwhile I managed to get back down to 10000' and trw helped a lot! What really ticked me off was when I found that the altitude reporting switch was off--the passenger in right front seat is a pilot and though not a member of the crew, took it upon himself to turn it off when we ascended. Had he not touched it, it might have alerted ATC to our situation. I read him the riot act. Granted I would not want the snitch machine to nail me, but under the circumstance, no violation would have occurred. Of course that would not keep the FAA from costing me thousands to prove my innocence--but that is another story. Anyway, I then mentioned to ATC that I've been having difficulty maintaining altitude. He gave frequency change. Rest of the flight went smoothly after breaking through the thunderstorm full of moderate-severe turbulence. Oh yes, earlier in the flight, about 10-15 mins before the above, autoplt was flying while I was looking at chart. Altitude hold on autoplt went off. Noticed altitude at 10300-10350' and descended. No reason for altitude hold to disengage. ATC did not mention anything about either of the foregoing; ie, no conflicts. Apparently they never even noticed the excursions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ACFT AT 10000' MSL WAS CAUGHT IN SEVERE UPDRAFT CLIMBING TO 11300'. UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY CONTACT ARTCC. WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO 10000'. DISCOVERED MODE C HAD BEEN TURNED OFF.

Narrative: I SURE GET TIRED OF FILLING THESE FORMS OUT--SURE AM GRATEFUL THEY EXIST, HOWEVER!! OK. SO THERE WE WERE AT 10000' CIRCUMNAVING AN AREA OF LIGHT-MODERATE PRECIPITATION. AS WE GOT ABEAM OF IT WE ENTERED CLOUD AND A STRONG UPDRAFT MATERIALIZED QUITE SUDDENLY. WE WENT DIRECTLY TO 11000-11300'. I CALLED CENTER NO LESS THAN 6 TIMES TO INFORM HIM THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO ALT. HE FINALLY RESPONDED TO MY CALLING HIM WITH, 'I HAVE OTHER PEOPLE TO TALK TO.' I RESPONDED, 'I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO HEAR WHAT I HAD TO SAY.' MEANWHILE I MANAGED TO GET BACK DOWN TO 10000' AND TRW HELPED A LOT! WHAT REALLY TICKED ME OFF WAS WHEN I FOUND THAT THE ALT RPTING SWITCH WAS OFF--THE PAX IN RIGHT FRONT SEAT IS A PLT AND THOUGH NOT A MEMBER OF THE CREW, TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO TURN IT OFF WHEN WE ASCENDED. HAD HE NOT TOUCHED IT, IT MIGHT HAVE ALERTED ATC TO OUR SITUATION. I READ HIM THE RIOT ACT. GRANTED I WOULD NOT WANT THE SNITCH MACHINE TO NAIL ME, BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE, NO VIOLATION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. OF COURSE THAT WOULD NOT KEEP THE FAA FROM COSTING ME THOUSANDS TO PROVE MY INNOCENCE--BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY. ANYWAY, I THEN MENTIONED TO ATC THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALT. HE GAVE FREQ CHANGE. REST OF THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY AFTER BREAKING THROUGH THE TSTM FULL OF MODERATE-SEVERE TURB. OH YES, EARLIER IN THE FLT, ABOUT 10-15 MINS BEFORE THE ABOVE, AUTOPLT WAS FLYING WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT CHART. ALT HOLD ON AUTOPLT WENT OFF. NOTICED ALT AT 10300-10350' AND DSNDED. NO REASON FOR ALT HOLD TO DISENGAGE. ATC DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT EITHER OF THE FOREGOING; IE, NO CONFLICTS. APPARENTLY THEY NEVER EVEN NOTICED THE EXCURSIONS.

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.