Small aircraft pilot flies wrong altitude for direction of flight his entire flight.

Attributes
ACN	318460
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : poc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 10500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9850 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	318460
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I flew entire route at the wrong VFR altitude of 10500 ft. Altitude should have been odd thousands plus 500 ft, eg 9500 ft, 11500 ft, etc. I did not recognize my error until after landing at eed. I'm surprised none of the controllers I was continuously in contact with at socal TRACON, psp TRACON or ZLA did not comment about my operation at the wrong altitude. I recognize it was not their responsibility to do so. I was just head up and locked on this aspect of the flight. Perhaps it happened because I had just recently (4 days ago) completed an extensive east to west flight from the east coast with extensive legs of VFR on top (IFR flight plans) operations at 10500 ft and was locked into 10500 ft as a desirable VFR operational altitude. Bottom line I just plain goofed and I thought I knew better than to do something as dumb as operating at the wrong altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLIES WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT HIS ENTIRE FLT.

Narrative: I FLEW ENTIRE RTE AT THE WRONG VFR ALT OF 10500 FT. ALT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ODD THOUSANDS PLUS 500 FT, EG 9500 FT, 11500 FT, ETC. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE MY ERROR UNTIL AFTER LNDG AT EED. I'M SURPRISED NONE OF THE CTLRS I WAS CONTINUOUSLY IN CONTACT WITH AT SOCAL TRACON, PSP TRACON OR ZLA DID NOT COMMENT ABOUT MY OP AT THE WRONG ALT. I RECOGNIZE IT WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO. I WAS JUST HEAD UP AND LOCKED ON THIS ASPECT OF THE FLT. PERHAPS IT HAPPENED BECAUSE I HAD JUST RECENTLY (4 DAYS AGO) COMPLETED AN EXTENSIVE E TO W FLT FROM THE E COAST WITH EXTENSIVE LEGS OF VFR ON TOP (IFR FLT PLANS) OPS AT 10500 FT AND WAS LOCKED INTO 10500 FT AS A DESIRABLE VFR OPERATIONAL ALT. BOTTOM LINE I JUST PLAIN GOOFED AND I THOUGHT I KNEW BETTER THAN TO DO SOMETHING AS DUMB AS OPERATING AT THE WRONG 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.