Narrative:

Departed athens, tx, IFR for clt. Requested 17000 ft, was assigned to climb to 16000 ft eastbound. Heard ATC calling us out as traffic to a commuter flight. I was never given the commuter traffic call, and did not know their position or altitude. I encountered a severe thunderstorm ahead and asked for a deviation to the north. ATC asked if I needed to go south. I said 'no, north would be fine.' he (ATC) approved my deviation to the north. On the deviation we continued to climb to 16000 ft. As we neared and circumnaved the thunderstorm cell, the aircraft was caught in a sudden updraft. As the aircraft ascended I exerted maximum control deflection available without exceeding the aircraft limitations. Turbulence made this difficult. At one point my altimeter indicated we were a little above 16300 ft. Finally, I was able to slow the aircraft enough to drop the gear, and begin the descent. At this time I felt the aircraft was under control and stable enough for me to notify ATC that we had exceeded our assigned altitude. At the same time houston requested our altitude. I answered 'out of 16100 ft for 16000 ft.' better pilot/controller communication could have helped this situation. Had I been aware of the near proximity of the commuter flight, I would have made a greater deviation to the north, or would have negotiated a different altitude. Had the controller known how bad the WX was in my area he could have made other decisions as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CLBING BE58 OVERSHOT HIS ALT WHEN LOSS OF ACFT CTL OCCURS. ACFT WAS NEAR A TSTM AND WAS CAUGHT UP IN UPDRAFT. EVENT CREATED A POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: DEPARTED ATHENS, TX, IFR FOR CLT. REQUESTED 17000 FT, WAS ASSIGNED TO CLB TO 16000 FT EBOUND. HEARD ATC CALLING US OUT AS TFC TO A COMMUTER FLT. I WAS NEVER GIVEN THE COMMUTER TFC CALL, AND DID NOT KNOW THEIR POS OR ALT. I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE TSTM AHEAD AND ASKED FOR A DEV TO THE N. ATC ASKED IF I NEEDED TO GO S. I SAID 'NO, N WOULD BE FINE.' HE (ATC) APPROVED MY DEV TO THE N. ON THE DEV WE CONTINUED TO CLB TO 16000 FT. AS WE NEARED AND CIRCUMNAVED THE TSTM CELL, THE ACFT WAS CAUGHT IN A SUDDEN UPDRAFT. AS THE ACFT ASCENDED I EXERTED MAX CTL DEFLECTION AVAILABLE WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE ACFT LIMITATIONS. TURB MADE THIS DIFFICULT. AT ONE POINT MY ALTIMETER INDICATED WE WERE A LITTLE ABOVE 16300 FT. FINALLY, I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE ACFT ENOUGH TO DROP THE GEAR, AND BEGIN THE DSCNT. AT THIS TIME I FELT THE ACFT WAS UNDER CTL AND STABLE ENOUGH FOR ME TO NOTIFY ATC THAT WE HAD EXCEEDED OUR ASSIGNED ALT. AT THE SAME TIME HOUSTON REQUESTED OUR ALT. I ANSWERED 'OUT OF 16100 FT FOR 16000 FT.' BETTER PLT/CTLR COM COULD HAVE HELPED THIS SIT. HAD I BEEN AWARE OF THE NEAR PROX OF THE COMMUTER FLT, I WOULD HAVE MADE A GREATER DEV TO THE N, OR WOULD HAVE NEGOTIATED A DIFFERENT ALT. HAD THE CTLR KNOWN HOW BAD THE WX WAS IN MY AREA HE COULD HAVE MADE OTHER DECISIONS AS WELL.

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.