CL601 flight crew climbs from assigned altitude without clearance on an oceanic random route.

Attributes
ACN	591655
Time
Date	200308
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : czqx.artcc
State Reference	NF
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czqx.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Challenger CL601
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 14800 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	591655
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My copilot and I were flying an empty aircraft from gander (cyqx) to ZZZ. Our initial cleared altitude was FL290. We had filed to climb to FL370 after N5900 W04000, which was after about 2 hours into our flight. After making our position report at N59 W040, I made several attempts to contact gander radio to climb. I cannot recall my wording for my request to climb from FL290 to FL370, the frequency was very congested. I believe I said challenger would like to climb from FL290 to FL370. Gander radio responded with challenger report reaching FL370. Then I said challenger is leaving (or is out of) FL290 for FL370. Just as we leveled off at FL370, gander radio requested our altitude. I responded that we were level at FL370. Then gander radio said ATC is requesting (or expecting) you at FL290. I asked if we should descend to FL290. There seemed to be some confusion and he said to standby. He returned and cleared us to FL290. After reaching and reporting FL290, we were asked if we had been cleared to climb to FL370. Having not remembered hearing the words 'cleared to,' tried to explain how we had been led to believe that we had been cleared to climb. We assumed that since we had been told to report reaching FL370, that we had a climb clearance. Our filed climb to FL370 was due to fuel planning for this long flight. We were needing the climb to be able to complete the flight. We were getting anxious for climb clearance and readily accepted what we thought was a proper clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL601 FLT CREW CLBS FROM ASSIGNED ALT WITHOUT CLRNC ON AN OCEANIC RANDOM RTE.

Narrative: MY COPLT AND I WERE FLYING AN EMPTY ACFT FROM GANDER (CYQX) TO ZZZ. OUR INITIAL CLRED ALT WAS FL290. WE HAD FILED TO CLB TO FL370 AFTER N5900 W04000, WHICH WAS AFTER ABOUT 2 HRS INTO OUR FLT. AFTER MAKING OUR POS RPT AT N59 W040, I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT GANDER RADIO TO CLB. I CANNOT RECALL MY WORDING FOR MY REQUEST TO CLB FROM FL290 TO FL370, THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED. I BELIEVE I SAID CHALLENGER WOULD LIKE TO CLB FROM FL290 TO FL370. GANDER RADIO RESPONDED WITH CHALLENGER RPT REACHING FL370. THEN I SAID CHALLENGER IS LEAVING (OR IS OUT OF) FL290 FOR FL370. JUST AS WE LEVELED OFF AT FL370, GANDER RADIO REQUESTED OUR ALT. I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT FL370. THEN GANDER RADIO SAID ATC IS REQUESTING (OR EXPECTING) YOU AT FL290. I ASKED IF WE SHOULD DSND TO FL290. THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION AND HE SAID TO STANDBY. HE RETURNED AND CLRED US TO FL290. AFTER REACHING AND RPTING FL290, WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CLB TO FL370. HAVING NOT REMEMBERED HEARING THE WORDS 'CLRED TO,' TRIED TO EXPLAIN HOW WE HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CLB. WE ASSUMED THAT SINCE WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO RPT REACHING FL370, THAT WE HAD A CLB CLRNC. OUR FILED CLB TO FL370 WAS DUE TO FUEL PLANNING FOR THIS LONG FLT. WE WERE NEEDING THE CLB TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE FLT. WE WERE GETTING ANXIOUS FOR CLB CLRNC AND READILY ACCEPTED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A PROPER CLRNC.

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.