Narrative:

Conditions: showery precipitation and reduced visibility. Twin cessna left downwind 1500-1600 ft, 5-6 mi approaching from the south. My clearance: barron cleared as filed via radar vectors iowa city direct dsm, climb maintain 2000 ft, expect 4000 ft 10 mins, turn left heading 140 degrees. I took off runway 18 not knowing about any traffic yet until about at 1500-1600 ft. Meigs tower called the traffic out, but I did not see them yet. The first thing that came to my mind was to get up and get out of his way, so at that time I spent more of my time looking out than inside the instrument panel. This led to accidentally going through my assigned altitude of 2000 ft, which I finally stopped at 2900 ft. I finally saw the traffic and meigs tower switched me off to departure and they were a little unhappy that I was at 2900 ft instead of 2000 ft. So they just had me maintain 3000 ft until being turned loose to dsm. I hope I still do not get a violation over the whole incident! The thing I would like to see here is that meigs tower and chicago departure provide better separation of VFR traffic (twin cessna) and IFR traffic (me!). The clearance that I received would have put me on a direct hit with cessna. I did not blow my assigned altitude on purpose. I was looking for the traffic and did not pay very close attention to my instruments. The only thing I thought about was getting up and getting the hell out of his way because we were so close to the same altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ON DEP CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: CONDITIONS: SHOWERY PRECIPITATION AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. TWIN CESSNA L DOWNWIND 1500-1600 FT, 5-6 MI APCHING FROM THE S. MY CLRNC: BARRON CLRED AS FILED VIA RADAR VECTORS IOWA CITY DIRECT DSM, CLB MAINTAIN 2000 FT, EXPECT 4000 FT 10 MINS, TURN L HDG 140 DEGS. I TOOK OFF RWY 18 NOT KNOWING ABOUT ANY TFC YET UNTIL ABOUT AT 1500-1600 FT. MEIGS TWR CALLED THE TFC OUT, BUT I DID NOT SEE THEM YET. THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS TO GET UP AND GET OUT OF HIS WAY, SO AT THAT TIME I SPENT MORE OF MY TIME LOOKING OUT THAN INSIDE THE INST PANEL. THIS LED TO ACCIDENTALLY GOING THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT, WHICH I FINALLY STOPPED AT 2900 FT. I FINALLY SAW THE TFC AND MEIGS TWR SWITCHED ME OFF TO DEP AND THEY WERE A LITTLE UNHAPPY THAT I WAS AT 2900 FT INSTEAD OF 2000 FT. SO THEY JUST HAD ME MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL BEING TURNED LOOSE TO DSM. I HOPE I STILL DO NOT GET A VIOLATION OVER THE WHOLE INCIDENT! THE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE IS THAT MEIGS TWR AND CHICAGO DEP PROVIDE BETTER SEPARATION OF VFR TFC (TWIN CESSNA) AND IFR TFC (ME!). THE CLRNC THAT I RECEIVED WOULD HAVE PUT ME ON A DIRECT HIT WITH CESSNA. I DID NOT BLOW MY ASSIGNED ALT ON PURPOSE. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND DID NOT PAY VERY CLOSE ATTN TO MY INSTS. THE ONLY THING I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS GETTING UP AND GETTING THE HELL OUT OF HIS WAY BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE SAME ALT.

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.