MO20 pilot climbed through his assigned altitude of 8000 ft believing he had been cleared to 10000 f...

Attributes
ACN	516000
Time
Date	200106
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zmp.artcc
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 64 flight time total : 2321 flight time type : 1842
ASRS Report	516000
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While ascending on an IFR flight plan to omh, I was checking WX, due to a line of severe thunderstorms just west of my route, when I climbed through my assigned altitude of 8000 ft. I was at 9000 ft, thinking I was cleared to 10000 ft, my original desired altitude. ATC called me at the same time I realized that I was only assigned 8000 ft. I apologized to ATC communicating I thought I was going to 10000 ft. ATC granted my request to go to 10000 ft. A combination of factors contributed to this problem, including checking WX while in my climb, and thinking that I had been cleared to 10000 ft when it was only 8000 ft. Writing this information down and not checking WX until I am at my assigned cruise altitude would have helped to prevent this occurrence from happening.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MO20 PLT CLBED THROUGH HIS ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT BELIEVING HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 10000 FT.

Narrative: WHILE ASCENDING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO OMH, I WAS CHKING WX, DUE TO A LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS JUST W OF MY RTE, WHEN I CLBED THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT. I WAS AT 9000 FT, THINKING I WAS CLRED TO 10000 FT, MY ORIGINAL DESIRED ALT. ATC CALLED ME AT THE SAME TIME I REALIZED THAT I WAS ONLY ASSIGNED 8000 FT. I APOLOGIZED TO ATC COMMUNICATING I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO 10000 FT. ATC GRANTED MY REQUEST TO GO TO 10000 FT. A COMBINATION OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROB, INCLUDING CHKING WX WHILE IN MY CLB, AND THINKING THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO 10000 FT WHEN IT WAS ONLY 8000 FT. WRITING THIS INFO DOWN AND NOT CHKING WX UNTIL I AM AT MY ASSIGNED CRUISE ALT WOULD HAVE HELPED TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING.

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.

MO20 pilot climbed through his assigned altitude of 8000 ft believing he had been cleared to 10000 ft.