A PA60 commuter pilot overshoots his assigned altitude during a period of distraction by departure c...

Attributes
ACN	537571
Time
Date	200202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cgf.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Piper Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	537571
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

When departing cgf, the clearance was runway heading to 1900 ft then right turn to 320 degrees, maintain 3000 ft. After takeoff, I climbed to 1900 ft and started my turn to 320 degrees when the tower told me to contact approach. I tried to contact approach while climbing through 2200 ft, but there was other traffic and they did not hear me. I tried again while climbing through 2600 ft. They asked me to recycle my transponder, which I did. As I started to look back to the flight instruments, they came back and demanded that I recycle my transponder. I immediately rechked the transponder and replied that I had recycled it. When I looked back to the altimeter, I was climbing through 3300 ft and immediately started to level off. The controller said that he now had my transponder, but my mode C appeared to be off and asked me what my current altitude was. I replied that I was at 3500 ft and starting back down. He said that I was assigned 3000 ft, but to climb and maintain 4000 ft. I read the new altitude back and asked him if there was going to be a problem. He said not today and there had not been any conflict, but I needed to be more careful next time. The rest of the flight was completed uneventfully. I think the main cause for this incident was allowing the controller to distract me from what my main task was (flying the airplane). I allowed his demands and my desire to establish radar contact to draw my attention away from flying the airplane. From now on, if I am nearing an altitude or a heading, I am going to wait until I have leveled the airplane to address any controller requests. Secondly, pilots that become familiar with an area can become complacent. On all prior departures from cgf I had been given 4000 ft as soon as I had contacted departure. Expecting that would be the case this time, I was still climbing at approximately 1500 FPM when I finally was able to contact departure. I should have slowed the climb down as soon as I neared 3000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA60 COMMUTER PLT OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED ALT DURING A PERIOD OF DISTR BY DEP CTLR REGARDING THE FLT'S XPONDER MODE C DURING A VMC DEP TO 3000 FT FROM CGF, OH.

Narrative: WHEN DEPARTING CGF, THE CLRNC WAS RWY HDG TO 1900 FT THEN R TURN TO 320 DEGS, MAINTAIN 3000 FT. AFTER TKOF, I CLBED TO 1900 FT AND STARTED MY TURN TO 320 DEGS WHEN THE TWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT APCH. I TRIED TO CONTACT APCH WHILE CLBING THROUGH 2200 FT, BUT THERE WAS OTHER TFC AND THEY DID NOT HEAR ME. I TRIED AGAIN WHILE CLBING THROUGH 2600 FT. THEY ASKED ME TO RECYCLE MY XPONDER, WHICH I DID. AS I STARTED TO LOOK BACK TO THE FLT INSTS, THEY CAME BACK AND DEMANDED THAT I RECYCLE MY XPONDER. I IMMEDIATELY RECHKED THE XPONDER AND REPLIED THAT I HAD RECYCLED IT. WHEN I LOOKED BACK TO THE ALTIMETER, I WAS CLBING THROUGH 3300 FT AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO LEVEL OFF. THE CTLR SAID THAT HE NOW HAD MY XPONDER, BUT MY MODE C APPEARED TO BE OFF AND ASKED ME WHAT MY CURRENT ALT WAS. I REPLIED THAT I WAS AT 3500 FT AND STARTING BACK DOWN. HE SAID THAT I WAS ASSIGNED 3000 FT, BUT TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. I READ THE NEW ALT BACK AND ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE A PROB. HE SAID NOT TODAY AND THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY CONFLICT, BUT I NEEDED TO BE MORE CAREFUL NEXT TIME. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY. I THINK THE MAIN CAUSE FOR THIS INCIDENT WAS ALLOWING THE CTLR TO DISTRACT ME FROM WHAT MY MAIN TASK WAS (FLYING THE AIRPLANE). I ALLOWED HIS DEMANDS AND MY DESIRE TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT TO DRAW MY ATTN AWAY FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE. FROM NOW ON, IF I AM NEARING AN ALT OR A HDG, I AM GOING TO WAIT UNTIL I HAVE LEVELED THE AIRPLANE TO ADDRESS ANY CTLR REQUESTS. SECONDLY, PLTS THAT BECOME FAMILIAR WITH AN AREA CAN BECOME COMPLACENT. ON ALL PRIOR DEPS FROM CGF I HAD BEEN GIVEN 4000 FT AS SOON AS I HAD CONTACTED DEP. EXPECTING THAT WOULD BE THE CASE THIS TIME, I WAS STILL CLBING AT APPROX 1500 FPM WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO CONTACT DEP. I SHOULD HAVE SLOWED THE CLB DOWN AS SOON AS I NEARED 3000 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.

A PA60 commuter pilot overshoots his assigned altitude during a period of distraction by departure controller regarding the flight's transponder mode C during a VMC departure to 3000 ft from cgf, oh.