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A climbing DC9-30 is alerted to their altitude deviation by center controller when the crew copied FL330 and center said FL290. ZME, tn.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 469440 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200004 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : bna.vortac |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j42.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 469440 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 470072 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
No conflict occurred. Event was discovered during climb from FL308 to FL330. Controller was busy with lots of bad ride reports and requests for altitude changes. We had queried ATC about rides at our target altitude of FL330. ATC stated we were cleared to FL290, but as long as we were climbing to continue to FL330. Both myself and first officer never received/replied, or recalled a clearance to FL290. Altitude warning indicator set at FL330 as previously cleared. ATC was very busy with lots of requests, which could have masked this clearance. Flight crew was considering a lower altitude so this was a surprising revelation to say the least. There were bad rides in the above FL310 altitudes, so we would have welcomed a lower clearance. Supplemental information from acn 470072: climbing through FL310 previously cleared to FL330 we inquired from ZME on the ride reports ahead. He then asked us our altitude, and then he informed us that we were to stop the climb at FL290. When we asked the controller if a problem occurred, he said there was none.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CLBING DC9-30 IS ALERTED TO THEIR ALTDEV BY CTR CTLR WHEN THE CREW COPIED FL330 AND CTR SAID FL290. ZME, TN.
Narrative: NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. EVENT WAS DISCOVERED DURING CLB FROM FL308 TO FL330. CTLR WAS BUSY WITH LOTS OF BAD RIDE RPTS AND REQUESTS FOR ALT CHANGES. WE HAD QUERIED ATC ABOUT RIDES AT OUR TARGET ALT OF FL330. ATC STATED WE WERE CLRED TO FL290, BUT AS LONG AS WE WERE CLBING TO CONTINUE TO FL330. BOTH MYSELF AND FO NEVER RECEIVED/REPLIED, OR RECALLED A CLRNC TO FL290. ALT WARNING INDICATOR SET AT FL330 AS PREVIOUSLY CLRED. ATC WAS VERY BUSY WITH LOTS OF REQUESTS, WHICH COULD HAVE MASKED THIS CLRNC. FLC WAS CONSIDERING A LOWER ALT SO THIS WAS A SURPRISING REVELATION TO SAY THE LEAST. THERE WERE BAD RIDES IN THE ABOVE FL310 ALTS, SO WE WOULD HAVE WELCOMED A LOWER CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 470072: CLBING THROUGH FL310 PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO FL330 WE INQUIRED FROM ZME ON THE RIDE RPTS AHEAD. HE THEN ASKED US OUR ALT, AND THEN HE INFORMED US THAT WE WERE TO STOP THE CLB AT FL290. WHEN WE ASKED THE CTLR IF A PROB OCCURRED, HE SAID THERE WAS NONE.
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.