Narrative:

I was flying as captain on air carrier flight number from msy to atl. An medium large transport type aircraft. I was climbing to our assigned altitude of FL230. Near FL180, hou ATC told us to stop climbing at FL200 but gave no reason. The first officer read back the clearance to stop the climb at FL200. I am not positive of the exact altitude we were at but I do remember that we were not given much time to react. As the first officer was reaching to reset the altitude alert from the previous FL230 down to FL200, the 2 red master warning lights illuminated. We then looked at the warning light panel to see what caused the master warnings and saw the red tail comp temperature high light was on. I had begun to level the aircraft and the first officer verified that I was aware of the tail compartment problem. I directed him to do the checklist. After we shut down the systems according to the checklist the first officer got the aircraft handbook out of his flight kit and checked to see that all amplifications had been covered. As I was listening to the first officer reading the procedures hou ATC asked to verify we were at FL200. I rechked my altimeter and saw that I leveled indicating FL204. I immediately and rapidly descended to FL200 leaving us above FL200 at what I would estimate to be just seconds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT OVERSHOT CLB ALT DUE TO DISTR OF ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS CAPT ON ACR FLT NUMBER FROM MSY TO ATL. AN MLG TYPE ACFT. I WAS CLBING TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF FL230. NEAR FL180, HOU ATC TOLD US TO STOP CLBING AT FL200 BUT GAVE NO REASON. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC TO STOP THE CLB AT FL200. I AM NOT POSITIVE OF THE EXACT ALT WE WERE AT BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT WE WERE NOT GIVEN MUCH TIME TO REACT. AS THE FO WAS REACHING TO RESET THE ALT ALERT FROM THE PREVIOUS FL230 DOWN TO FL200, THE 2 RED MASTER WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. WE THEN LOOKED AT THE WARNING LIGHT PANEL TO SEE WHAT CAUSED THE MASTER WARNINGS AND SAW THE RED TAIL COMP TEMP HIGH LIGHT WAS ON. I HAD BEGUN TO LEVEL THE ACFT AND THE FO VERIFIED THAT I WAS AWARE OF THE TAIL COMPARTMENT PROBLEM. I DIRECTED HIM TO DO THE CHKLIST. AFTER WE SHUT DOWN THE SYSTEMS ACCORDING TO THE CHKLIST THE FO GOT THE ACFT HANDBOOK OUT OF HIS FLT KIT AND CHKED TO SEE THAT ALL AMPLIFICATIONS HAD BEEN COVERED. AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE FO READING THE PROCS HOU ATC ASKED TO VERIFY WE WERE AT FL200. I RECHKED MY ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT I LEVELED INDICATING FL204. I IMMEDIATELY AND RAPIDLY DSNDED TO FL200 LEAVING US ABOVE FL200 AT WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE TO BE JUST SECONDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.