A piper PA34 instructor and student pilot climbed above the assigned altitude near glr VOR.

Attributes
ACN	440247
Time
Date	199906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : glr.vor
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : v285.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	440247
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 23
ASRS Report	440248
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departure, we entered controled airspace and were climbing up to 3000 ft. Upon establishing contact with ZMP, they replied radar contact and cleared us higher -- apparently to 5000 ft. Climbing through 4000 ft, I conferred with my student questioning 'we were cleared to 6000 ft, right?' but 6000 ft made more sense being we filed 6000 ft and were traveling wbound. Climbing through approximately 5200 ft, center queried us as to our altitude and restated that we were cleared to 5000 ft. We immediately began a descent back to 5000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA34 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT CLBED ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT NEAR GLR VOR.

Narrative: ON DEP, WE ENTERED CTLED AIRSPACE AND WERE CLBING UP TO 3000 FT. UPON ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH ZMP, THEY REPLIED RADAR CONTACT AND CLRED US HIGHER -- APPARENTLY TO 5000 FT. CLBING THROUGH 4000 FT, I CONFERRED WITH MY STUDENT QUESTIONING 'WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT, RIGHT?' BUT 6000 FT MADE MORE SENSE BEING WE FILED 6000 FT AND WERE TRAVELING WBOUND. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 5200 FT, CTR QUERIED US AS TO OUR ALT AND RESTATED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 5000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT BACK TO 5000 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.