Narrative:

I departed ssf, tx, on an IFR flight plan and clearance. I had been cleared with radar vectors by sat departure (127.5) on a heading of 140 degrees to intercept V163, climbing to 5000 ft, out of 2500 ft altitude restr. At 5000 ft, the clearance leveloff altitude, at approximately yenns intersection on V163, I received a frequency change to ZHU. The houston radio was almost impossible to understand until they selected another transmitter, after several tries, then they came in loud and clear. The ZHU controller gave me an altimeter setting of 30.04. My setting on departure from stinson had been 30.08, as I remember it. The ZHU controller then asked what our altitude was. I reported '5500 ft, descending.' I reached 5000 ft almost immediately. There was no further comment from the controller at houston. During the broken radio communication with ZHU, which came almost as I reached leveloff altitude (5000 ft) I was operating at climb power (2500 RPM) and had not reduced to cruise power (2300 RPM) and inadvertently climbed through the assigned altitude while attempting to establish communication. This was the first 'altitude bust' that I have made in over 600 hours of IFR flight experience. However, I had never attempted to establish or answer communication with anyone -- at a critical leveloff or power change point before, when flying single pilot IFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28-161 PLT CLBED 500 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT, PARTLY DUE TO DISTR WITH ESTABLISHING COM WITH CTR CTLR. ATC CTR WAS HAVING RADIO COM DIFFICULTY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SSF, TX, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND CLRNC. I HAD BEEN CLRED WITH RADAR VECTORS BY SAT DEP (127.5) ON A HDG OF 140 DEGS TO INTERCEPT V163, CLBING TO 5000 FT, OUT OF 2500 FT ALT RESTR. AT 5000 FT, THE CLRNC LEVELOFF ALT, AT APPROX YENNS INTXN ON V163, I RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE TO ZHU. THE HOUSTON RADIO WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND UNTIL THEY SELECTED ANOTHER XMITTER, AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, THEN THEY CAME IN LOUD AND CLR. THE ZHU CTLR GAVE ME AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.04. MY SETTING ON DEP FROM STINSON HAD BEEN 30.08, AS I REMEMBER IT. THE ZHU CTLR THEN ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS. I RPTED '5500 FT, DSNDING.' I REACHED 5000 FT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE CTLR AT HOUSTON. DURING THE BROKEN RADIO COM WITH ZHU, WHICH CAME ALMOST AS I REACHED LEVELOFF ALT (5000 FT) I WAS OPERATING AT CLB PWR (2500 RPM) AND HAD NOT REDUCED TO CRUISE PWR (2300 RPM) AND INADVERTENTLY CLBED THROUGH THE ASSIGNED ALT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH COM. THIS WAS THE FIRST 'ALT BUST' THAT I HAVE MADE IN OVER 600 HRS OF IFR FLT EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, I HAD NEVER ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH OR ANSWER COM WITH ANYONE -- AT A CRITICAL LEVELOFF OR PWR CHANGE POINT BEFORE, WHEN FLYING SINGLE PLT IFR.

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.