Narrative:

We departed at XA00 for a final leg of the day. The captain was PF while the first officer was assuming the PNF duties. The WX at departure was good with visibility and about 3500 ft overcast with tops about 4500 and clear above. Shortly after takeoff we received 3 caution messages indicating that the probe heat on the right side of the aircraft had malfunctioned. In accordance with company procedure, the PF assumed the radio duties while the PNF completed the QRH procedures. The PNF completed the QRH procedures with no effective solution. Both pilots were discussing possible issues of whether or not we could continue to the destination or were required to return to the departure airport. A decision was made to call company maintenance for assistance in clearing the malfunctions. After several mins on the radio with maintenance the malfunctions were cleared and we decided we could continue to the destination. After the problem was solved, we were climbing through FL287 about to level off at FL290 when ZAU asked us to 'say altitude' and asked whether we had been cleared only to FL280. We verified that they did need us at FL280 and immediately descended to FL280. Within a min we were cleared to climb to final cruise altitude. Upon landing at our destination airport, we telephoned ZAU to clarify exactly what had happened in the climb. A supervisor in chicago stated that we had been within 1300 ft vertically and between 4-5 mi horizontally to another aircraft, which was less than the required clearance in that sector. Both pilots remembered receiving a clearance to FL290 but neither could recall a later restr to FL280. The center had replayed the tapes of the sector radio communications and 3 different people who heard the tapes confirmed that one of us had accepted the clearance. In retrospect, while handling the malfunction we should have relayed our condition to departure and center, had the controller known we were distraction with mechanical difficulties he could have possibly provided simpler routing and climb. It seems obvious now that we both became too distraction running the QRH and diagnosing the problem. Supplemental information from acn 535436: center informed us of the need to fill out a report and forward it to the FSDO. They told me the reason for the amended altitude was for traffic, and at the time we were called by center to 'maintain FL280' we were at FL287 and another aircraft was at FL303 and climbing. Lateral separation was 4-5 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARJ CREW, DISTR BY A PROBE HEAT MALFUNCTION, OVERSHOT AMENDED ALT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED AT XA00 FOR A FINAL LEG OF THE DAY. THE CAPT WAS PF WHILE THE FO WAS ASSUMING THE PNF DUTIES. THE WX AT DEP WAS GOOD WITH VISIBILITY AND ABOUT 3500 FT OVCST WITH TOPS ABOUT 4500 AND CLR ABOVE. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE RECEIVED 3 CAUTION MESSAGES INDICATING THAT THE PROBE HEAT ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROC, THE PF ASSUMED THE RADIO DUTIES WHILE THE PNF COMPLETED THE QRH PROCS. THE PNF COMPLETED THE QRH PROCS WITH NO EFFECTIVE SOLUTION. BOTH PLTS WERE DISCUSSING POSSIBLE ISSUES OF WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD CONTINUE TO THE DEST OR WERE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT. A DECISION WAS MADE TO CALL COMPANY MAINT FOR ASSISTANCE IN CLRING THE MALFUNCTIONS. AFTER SEVERAL MINS ON THE RADIO WITH MAINT THE MALFUNCTIONS WERE CLRED AND WE DECIDED WE COULD CONTINUE TO THE DEST. AFTER THE PROB WAS SOLVED, WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL287 ABOUT TO LEVEL OFF AT FL290 WHEN ZAU ASKED US TO 'SAY ALT' AND ASKED WHETHER WE HAD BEEN CLRED ONLY TO FL280. WE VERIFIED THAT THEY DID NEED US AT FL280 AND IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO FL280. WITHIN A MIN WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FINAL CRUISE ALT. UPON LNDG AT OUR DEST ARPT, WE TELEPHONED ZAU TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE CLB. A SUPVR IN CHICAGO STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN WITHIN 1300 FT VERTLY AND BTWN 4-5 MI HORIZLY TO ANOTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS LESS THAN THE REQUIRED CLRNC IN THAT SECTOR. BOTH PLTS REMEMBERED RECEIVING A CLRNC TO FL290 BUT NEITHER COULD RECALL A LATER RESTR TO FL280. THE CTR HAD REPLAYED THE TAPES OF THE SECTOR RADIO COMS AND 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO HEARD THE TAPES CONFIRMED THAT ONE OF US HAD ACCEPTED THE CLRNC. IN RETROSPECT, WHILE HANDLING THE MALFUNCTION WE SHOULD HAVE RELAYED OUR CONDITION TO DEP AND CTR, HAD THE CTLR KNOWN WE WERE DISTR WITH MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES HE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY PROVIDED SIMPLER ROUTING AND CLB. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS NOW THAT WE BOTH BECAME TOO DISTR RUNNING THE QRH AND DIAGNOSING THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535436: CTR INFORMED US OF THE NEED TO FILL OUT A RPT AND FORWARD IT TO THE FSDO. THEY TOLD ME THE REASON FOR THE AMENDED ALT WAS FOR TFC, AND AT THE TIME WE WERE CALLED BY CTR TO 'MAINTAIN FL280' WE WERE AT FL287 AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS AT FL303 AND CLBING. LATERAL SEPARATION WAS 4-5 MI.

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.