B727 crew had altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	444840
Time
Date	199907
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dsm.airport
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : des moines 5
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 88 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 3400
ASRS Report	444840
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

I was notified by flight safety FAA had made an inquiry about a possible altitude deviation of flight on jul/xa/99 from dsm-cid. Until that notification I had no idea of an altitude deviation because it was never questioned or corrected by ATC. We were departing on the dsm 5 to 5000 ft and then given 11000 ft and handed off to ZAU. Just prior to this we requested to deviate north for a very large, intense, thunderstorm that was in our flight path. In the climb, I checked on with ZAU we were climbing to 11000 ft, and they acknowledged that. Supposedly we were only cleared to 10000 ft but dsm tower or ZAU never corrected us or confirmed this by radio. There was no traffic conflict to my knowledge and the flight was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW HAD ALTDEV.

Narrative: I WAS NOTIFIED BY FLT SAFETY FAA HAD MADE AN INQUIRY ABOUT A POSSIBLE ALTDEV OF FLT ON JUL/XA/99 FROM DSM-CID. UNTIL THAT NOTIFICATION I HAD NO IDEA OF AN ALTDEV BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER QUESTIONED OR CORRECTED BY ATC. WE WERE DEPARTING ON THE DSM 5 TO 5000 FT AND THEN GIVEN 11000 FT AND HANDED OFF TO ZAU. JUST PRIOR TO THIS WE REQUESTED TO DEVIATE N FOR A VERY LARGE, INTENSE, TSTM THAT WAS IN OUR FLT PATH. IN THE CLB, I CHKED ON WITH ZAU WE WERE CLBING TO 11000 FT, AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT. SUPPOSEDLY WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 10000 FT BUT DSM TWR OR ZAU NEVER CORRECTED US OR CONFIRMED THIS BY RADIO. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.