<< >> NASA ASRS Report 296945, February 1995

Flight crew of a cpr widebody transport test flight mistakenly started climb from high altitude cruise prior to being cleared by ATC.

Attributes
ACN	296945
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	296945
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While conducting a flight test, I was distracted with a conversation with flight test engineers about the test sequence and misinterpreted ZLC's discussion about our altitude. Apparently they told us we would have to climb or descend for a traffic conflict down the road. We said we'd prefer to climb and said FL350 would be acceptable. They apparently said something about FL350 which I thought was a clearance and I started the climb from FL330. Passing FL340 they asked if we were in a climb and we responded out of FL340 for FL350. Several mins later, ZLC told us we had never been cleared to FL350, but to maintain FL350 since we were there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CPR WDB TEST FLT MISTAKENLY STARTED CLB FROM HIGH ALT CRUISE PRIOR TO BEING CLRED BY ATC.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A FLT TEST, I WAS DISTRACTED WITH A CONVERSATION WITH FLT TEST ENGINEERS ABOUT THE TEST SEQUENCE AND MISINTERPRETED ZLC'S DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR ALT. APPARENTLY THEY TOLD US WE WOULD HAVE TO CLB OR DSND FOR A TFC CONFLICT DOWN THE ROAD. WE SAID WE'D PREFER TO CLB AND SAID FL350 WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THEY APPARENTLY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT FL350 WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A CLRNC AND I STARTED THE CLB FROM FL330. PASSING FL340 THEY ASKED IF WE WERE IN A CLB AND WE RESPONDED OUT OF FL340 FOR FL350. SEVERAL MINS LATER, ZLC TOLD US WE HAD NEVER BEEN CLRED TO FL350, BUT TO MAINTAIN FL350 SINCE WE WERE THERE.

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.