Commuter crew reissued final altitude after climbing through it in ZHU airspace.

Attributes
ACN	428860
Time
Date	199901
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mcb.vortac
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : j22.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	428860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After departing mei we were instructed to contact mei departure and were assigned 12000 ft after checking on. We were then instructed to contact ZME. Upon checking in with the center controller, we were cleared to FL230. Both the captain and I remarked that it was a higher altitude than we had been filed for, but decided not to query the controller at that time. We were then handed off to ZHU, and after checking on continued our climb to FL230. Upon passing FL206 we were queried by the ZHU controller as to our cleared to altitude. I responded by informing him that we had been cleared to FL230, to which the controller responded that we should have been cleared to FL200. He then cleared us to FL220 and told us to expect that for the final. After acknowledging the transmission we proceeded to complete the flight without incident. After reviewing the situation, I should have queried the ZME controller as to the reasoning for his clearance to FL230.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER CREW REISSUED FINAL ALT AFTER CLBING THROUGH IT IN ZHU AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING MEI WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT MEI DEP AND WERE ASSIGNED 12000 FT AFTER CHKING ON. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT ZME. UPON CHKING IN WITH THE CTR CTLR, WE WERE CLRED TO FL230. BOTH THE CAPT AND I REMARKED THAT IT WAS A HIGHER ALT THAN WE HAD BEEN FILED FOR, BUT DECIDED NOT TO QUERY THE CTLR AT THAT TIME. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO ZHU, AND AFTER CHKING ON CONTINUED OUR CLB TO FL230. UPON PASSING FL206 WE WERE QUERIED BY THE ZHU CTLR AS TO OUR CLRED TO ALT. I RESPONDED BY INFORMING HIM THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL230, TO WHICH THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO FL200. HE THEN CLRED US TO FL220 AND TOLD US TO EXPECT THAT FOR THE FINAL. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THE XMISSION WE PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER REVIEWING THE SIT, I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE ZME CTLR AS TO THE REASONING FOR HIS CLRNC TO FL230.

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.