Flight crew assigned altitude on climbout.

Attributes
ACN	111317
Time
Date	198905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bal
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 13800
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zdc enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	111317
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was acting as copilot for another company captain flying an mdt X during this occurrence. As designated captain of the trip by our company, my name was on the IFR flight plan from salisbury, md, to windsor, ont. As we were climbing out in moderate to heavy rain and turbulence, we were cleared to 13000' by ZDC and told to deviate to the east as necessary to avoid WX showing on our radar. The PF in the left seat asked me were we not cleared to 14000', and I said, 'no!!', that we were only cleared to 13000' which was set in the altitude preselect. At the time on his question, we were at 12500' and I thought leveling off. I looked at the radar and then back at the altimeters and warned the PF to watch his altitude. At that time, we were passing 13100' and he was using the autoplt to stop the climb, which was over 1000 FPM. I yelled for him to stop his climb as we passed 13500' and his comment was that he was, but he didn't want to upset his passenger with a pitch over. He stopped the climb at 13800' and gradually went back down. ZDC then called and said we were only cleared to 13000' and he showed us at 14000'. I told him we were level at 13000'. He then said nothing more than, 'you are now cleared to a higher altitude.' I asked the PF what happened and was he all right. No comment. I said we better send in a NASA report on this one, and he just sat there with no response. The WX played an important part in this since we were in moderate rain showers and light to moderate turbulence, but more importantly--this pilot had been terminated from our company the day before. We had all been nervous wrecks for over 2 weeks (no sleep, etc) when we were told by our chief pilot that our department would be cut from 10 to 5 aircraft and that the crews would be cut not by seniority, but by the personal whims of our new director. These terminated pilots still have to fly for 2 more months or lose their termination pay. A very bad and unsafe situation. The PF did ask later how high past 13000' we went. Very slow thought process.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW ASSIGNED ALT ON CLIMBOUT.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS COPLT FOR ANOTHER COMPANY CAPT FLYING AN MDT X DURING THIS OCCURRENCE. AS DESIGNATED CAPT OF THE TRIP BY OUR COMPANY, MY NAME WAS ON THE IFR FLT PLAN FROM SALISBURY, MD, TO WINDSOR, ONT. AS WE WERE CLBING OUT IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND TURB, WE WERE CLRED TO 13000' BY ZDC AND TOLD TO DEVIATE TO THE E AS NECESSARY TO AVOID WX SHOWING ON OUR RADAR. THE PF IN THE LEFT SEAT ASKED ME WERE WE NOT CLRED TO 14000', AND I SAID, 'NO!!', THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 13000' WHICH WAS SET IN THE ALT PRESELECT. AT THE TIME ON HIS QUESTION, WE WERE AT 12500' AND I THOUGHT LEVELING OFF. I LOOKED AT THE RADAR AND THEN BACK AT THE ALTIMETERS AND WARNED THE PF TO WATCH HIS ALT. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE PASSING 13100' AND HE WAS USING THE AUTOPLT TO STOP THE CLB, WHICH WAS OVER 1000 FPM. I YELLED FOR HIM TO STOP HIS CLB AS WE PASSED 13500' AND HIS COMMENT WAS THAT HE WAS, BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO UPSET HIS PAX WITH A PITCH OVER. HE STOPPED THE CLB AT 13800' AND GRADUALLY WENT BACK DOWN. ZDC THEN CALLED AND SAID WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 13000' AND HE SHOWED US AT 14000'. I TOLD HIM WE WERE LEVEL AT 13000'. HE THEN SAID NOTHING MORE THAN, 'YOU ARE NOW CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT.' I ASKED THE PF WHAT HAPPENED AND WAS HE ALL RIGHT. NO COMMENT. I SAID WE BETTER SEND IN A NASA RPT ON THIS ONE, AND HE JUST SAT THERE WITH NO RESPONSE. THE WX PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THIS SINCE WE WERE IN MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY--THIS PLT HAD BEEN TERMINATED FROM OUR COMPANY THE DAY BEFORE. WE HAD ALL BEEN NERVOUS WRECKS FOR OVER 2 WEEKS (NO SLEEP, ETC) WHEN WE WERE TOLD BY OUR CHIEF PLT THAT OUR DEPT WOULD BE CUT FROM 10 TO 5 ACFT AND THAT THE CREWS WOULD BE CUT NOT BY SENIORITY, BUT BY THE PERSONAL WHIMS OF OUR NEW DIRECTOR. THESE TERMINATED PLTS STILL HAVE TO FLY FOR 2 MORE MONTHS OR LOSE THEIR TERMINATION PAY. A VERY BAD AND UNSAFE SITUATION. THE PF DID ASK LATER HOW HIGH PAST 13000' WE WENT. VERY SLOW THOUGHT PROCESS.

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.