Narrative:

On the morning of may/xa/98 I took a load of freight from dfw to abi. My initial clearance was 2000 ft. After contacting departure I was cleared to 3000 ft. Shortly thereafter, I believe I was cleared to 6000 ft. While in my climb, I was told to maintain 4000 ft. At that moment I was at around 4400 ft or 4500 ft. I descended to 4000 ft and was later cleared to 8000 ft. When told to maintain 4000 ft I was given traffic at 5000 ft and had visual contact. Later, before being handed off to the next controller, I was given the phone number to dfw and they told me, when I called them, that I was not cleared to 6000 ft but to 4000 ft. They said I read back 4000 ft, but I had written on my knee board 6000 ft. The only other way I can see that I could have believed I was cleared to 6000 ft could have been from my original clearance from 2000 ft to 6000 ft 10 mins after departure. I may have been expecting 6000 ft and written 6000 ft even though the controller issued 4000 ft.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SEL SMT CARGO OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DEP CLB RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION TO RETURN RPTR TO ASSIGNED ALT SINCE THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT JUST ABOVE.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF MAY/XA/98 I TOOK A LOAD OF FREIGHT FROM DFW TO ABI. MY INITIAL CLRNC WAS 2000 FT. AFTER CONTACTING DEP I WAS CLRED TO 3000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I BELIEVE I WAS CLRED TO 6000 FT. WHILE IN MY CLB, I WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. AT THAT MOMENT I WAS AT AROUND 4400 FT OR 4500 FT. I DSNDED TO 4000 FT AND WAS LATER CLRED TO 8000 FT. WHEN TOLD TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT I WAS GIVEN TFC AT 5000 FT AND HAD VISUAL CONTACT. LATER, BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR, I WAS GIVEN THE PHONE NUMBER TO DFW AND THEY TOLD ME, WHEN I CALLED THEM, THAT I WAS NOT CLRED TO 6000 FT BUT TO 4000 FT. THEY SAID I READ BACK 4000 FT, BUT I HAD WRITTEN ON MY KNEE BOARD 6000 FT. THE ONLY OTHER WAY I CAN SEE THAT I COULD HAVE BELIEVED I WAS CLRED TO 6000 FT COULD HAVE BEEN FROM MY ORIGINAL CLRNC FROM 2000 FT TO 6000 FT 10 MINS AFTER DEP. I MAY HAVE BEEN EXPECTING 6000 FT AND WRITTEN 6000 FT EVEN THOUGH THE CTLR ISSUED 4000 FT.

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.