Pilot of an small transport sel turboprop cargo aircraft overshot climb altitude due to the mindset ...

Attributes
ACN	351140
Time
Date	199610
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hob
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : v102
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	351140
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon taxi out of hobbs, NM, at XA45 I was aware of strong tailwinds at my filed altitude of 11000 ft. When I called for clearance I learned that my flight plan had dropped out of the system and was being put back in. As I waited I heard another aircraft report a good ground speed at 11000 ft. I received my clearance with the normal routing and an altitude of 7000 ft, and I read it back correctly. I departed and climbed on course, upon receiving a handoff to ZFW I had forgotten to level off at 7000 ft. I called center climbing through 7500 ft for 11000 ft. Center asked my assigned altitude, I replied 11000 ft. Center said stand by while I check, at which point I remembered that I should have stopped at 7000 ft. I immediately began a descent back to 7000 ft. Center asked again for my assigned altitude. I said 7000 ft, I'm descending to 7000 ft. I then asked center if this (altitude) was because of traffic of what? There was no reply. Center cleared me to 11000 ft. I read it back and climbed to 11000 ft. Center advised me of a possible pilot deviation, to call ZFW on the ground, and handed me off to the next sector. I believe that through the familiarity of my usual clearance to 11000 ft and my plans to climb to a good tailwind altitude, I had developed a mindset of climbing to 11000 ft which overshadowed my assigned altitude of 7000 ft. To assure that this will not happen again I have adopted 2 methods of engraving the assigned altitude in my memory -- I write it down and dial it into my ADF display.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT SEL TURBOPROP CARGO ACFT OVERSHOT CLB ALT DUE TO THE MINDSET OF A HIGHER ALT FAVORED BECAUSE OF AN EXPECTED TAILWIND. ATC INTERVENED AND EVENTUALLY ASSIGNED HIM THE DESIRED HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: UPON TAXI OUT OF HOBBS, NM, AT XA45 I WAS AWARE OF STRONG TAILWINDS AT MY FILED ALT OF 11000 FT. WHEN I CALLED FOR CLRNC I LEARNED THAT MY FLT PLAN HAD DROPPED OUT OF THE SYS AND WAS BEING PUT BACK IN. AS I WAITED I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RPT A GOOD GND SPD AT 11000 FT. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC WITH THE NORMAL ROUTING AND AN ALT OF 7000 FT, AND I READ IT BACK CORRECTLY. I DEPARTED AND CLBED ON COURSE, UPON RECEIVING A HDOF TO ZFW I HAD FORGOTTEN TO LEVEL OFF AT 7000 FT. I CALLED CTR CLBING THROUGH 7500 FT FOR 11000 FT. CTR ASKED MY ASSIGNED ALT, I REPLIED 11000 FT. CTR SAID STAND BY WHILE I CHK, AT WHICH POINT I REMEMBERED THAT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AT 7000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT BACK TO 7000 FT. CTR ASKED AGAIN FOR MY ASSIGNED ALT. I SAID 7000 FT, I'M DSNDING TO 7000 FT. I THEN ASKED CTR IF THIS (ALT) WAS BECAUSE OF TFC OF WHAT? THERE WAS NO REPLY. CTR CLRED ME TO 11000 FT. I READ IT BACK AND CLBED TO 11000 FT. CTR ADVISED ME OF A POSSIBLE PLTDEV, TO CALL ZFW ON THE GND, AND HANDED ME OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. I BELIEVE THAT THROUGH THE FAMILIARITY OF MY USUAL CLRNC TO 11000 FT AND MY PLANS TO CLB TO A GOOD TAILWIND ALT, I HAD DEVELOPED A MINDSET OF CLBING TO 11000 FT WHICH OVERSHADOWED MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT. TO ASSURE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN I HAVE ADOPTED 2 METHODS OF ENGRAVING THE ASSIGNED ALT IN MY MEMORY -- I WRITE IT DOWN AND DIAL IT INTO MY ADF DISPLAY.

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.

Pilot of an small transport sel turboprop cargo aircraft overshot climb altitude due to the mindset of a higher altitude favored because of an expected tailwind. ATC intervened and eventually assigned him the desired higher altitude.