Narrative:

We had departed pontiac and were given multiple radar vectors and multiple step climbs. We had filed for FL330. We were able to have a good rate of climb because of flight conditions. We understood, after leveling at FL270, that we were then cleared to FL330. After a short time, the controller asked us if we could maintain FL290. We told her we had gone through that, but would come back to it, which we did. Later my boss got a call from FAA saying that we had busted our altitude and were being cited for a possible violation. We didn't think anything particularly remarkable of the incident because many times we have had to make altitude adjustments at center's request. Callback conversation with secondary reporter (acn 128511) revealed the following: he said that FAA investigation had shown that there was no other aircraft involved in the occurrence. The flight crew believed they had been cleared to FL330, but evidently that clearance was for another aircraft. Controller caught the deviation as reporter aircraft was passing through FL295 and then reclred them to FL290. FAA is pursuing the violation, he said, because the magnitude of the deviation exceeded 1000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BUSINESS JET SMT FLT CREW UNDERSTOOD CLEARED TO CLIMB FL330 BUT STOPPED BY ATC AT FL295 AND RECLEARED FL290. FAA PURSUING AS PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED PONTIAC AND WERE GIVEN MULTIPLE RADAR VECTORS AND MULTIPLE STEP CLIMBS. WE HAD FILED FOR FL330. WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A GOOD RATE OF CLB BECAUSE OF FLT CONDITIONS. WE UNDERSTOOD, AFTER LEVELING AT FL270, THAT WE WERE THEN CLRED TO FL330. AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE COULD MAINTAIN FL290. WE TOLD HER WE HAD GONE THROUGH THAT, BUT WOULD COME BACK TO IT, WHICH WE DID. LATER MY BOSS GOT A CALL FROM FAA SAYING THAT WE HAD BUSTED OUR ALT AND WERE BEING CITED FOR A POSSIBLE VIOLATION. WE DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING PARTICULARLY REMARKABLE OF THE INCIDENT BECAUSE MANY TIMES WE HAVE HAD TO MAKE ALT ADJUSTMENTS AT CENTER'S REQUEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH SECONDARY RPTR (ACN 128511) REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: HE SAID THAT FAA INVESTIGATION HAD SHOWN THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT INVOLVED IN THE OCCURRENCE. THE FLT CREW BELIEVED THEY HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL330, BUT EVIDENTLY THAT CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT. CTLR CAUGHT THE DEVIATION AS RPTR ACFT WAS PASSING THROUGH FL295 AND THEN RECLRED THEM TO FL290. FAA IS PURSUING THE VIOLATION, HE SAID, BECAUSE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DEVIATION EXCEEDED 1000'.

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.