A departure beech jet flight crew overshoots their assigned altitude of 4000 ft during a clearance m...

Attributes
ACN	599251
Time
Date	200311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechjet 400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5575 flight time type : 2145
ASRS Report	599251
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We departed 2 aircraft behind an aircraft with similar call sign out of bwi, on runway 15L. We were given a vector for a climbing right turn to a heading of 320 degrees, and to 4000 ft. We were in our climbing turn and were told to contact departure. Upon calling, the departure controller gave the other aircraft a vector for a left turn to 280 degrees and a climb to 14000 ft. We mistook the call to be for us. My copilot replied that we would stop our turn at 280 degrees and climb to 14000 ft. The controller replied that the call was not for us, but for the other aircraft and to listen more closely (among other things). We kept the turn going to a heading of 320 degrees, while trying to verify that we were to climb to 14000 ft. We were passing our originally assigned altitude of 4000 ft when the controller told us that was not our altitude, and since we were already through 4000 ft, to continue the climb to 6000 ft. We had mistaken a call for us that was really for a similar sounding aircraft. It could have been a problem if there had been another aircraft above us, but in this instance it was not a factor. We needed to listen more carefully to call signs from controllers, especially when we know similar sounding aircraft is in the area. The controller could have helped the problem by not going in so much depth to 'chew us out' at that moment. By doing so, we were unable to get our callback into him to verify the altitude we were supposed to be at. If he would have just let us know the call wasn't for us, and maybe a short, 'listen up,' we could have gotten our call into him to verify the altitude we were to be at. Then we could have leveled off at our altitude and heading with no further problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP BEECH JET FLT CREW OVERSHOOTS THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT DURING A CLRNC MIX-UP WITH THE PCT DEP CTLR 2 MI SW OF BWI, MD.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED 2 ACFT BEHIND AN ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN OUT OF BWI, ON RWY 15L. WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR FOR A CLBING R TURN TO A HEADING OF 320 DEGS, AND TO 4000 FT. WE WERE IN OUR CLBING TURN AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT DEP. UPON CALLING, THE DEP CTLR GAVE THE OTHER ACFT A VECTOR FOR A L TURN TO 280 DEGS AND A CLB TO 14000 FT. WE MISTOOK THE CALL TO BE FOR US. MY COPLT REPLIED THAT WE WOULD STOP OUR TURN AT 280 DEGS AND CLB TO 14000 FT. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT THE CALL WAS NOT FOR US, BUT FOR THE OTHER ACFT AND TO LISTEN MORE CLOSELY (AMONG OTHER THINGS). WE KEPT THE TURN GOING TO A HEADING OF 320 DEGS, WHILE TRYING TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE TO CLB TO 14000 FT. WE WERE PASSING OUR ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT WHEN THE CTLR TOLD US THAT WAS NOT OUR ALT, AND SINCE WE WERE ALREADY THROUGH 4000 FT, TO CONTINUE THE CLB TO 6000 FT. WE HAD MISTAKEN A CALL FOR US THAT WAS REALLY FOR A SIMILAR SOUNDING ACFT. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PROB IF THERE HAD BEEN ANOTHER ACFT ABOVE US, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE IT WAS NOT A FACTOR. WE NEEDED TO LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY TO CALL SIGNS FROM CTLRS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW SIMILAR SOUNDING ACFT IS IN THE AREA. THE CTLR COULD HAVE HELPED THE PROB BY NOT GOING IN SO MUCH DEPTH TO 'CHEW US OUT' AT THAT MOMENT. BY DOING SO, WE WERE UNABLE TO GET OUR CALLBACK INTO HIM TO VERIFY THE ALT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT. IF HE WOULD HAVE JUST LET US KNOW THE CALL WASN'T FOR US, AND MAYBE A SHORT, 'LISTEN UP,' WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN OUR CALL INTO HIM TO VERIFY THE ALT WE WERE TO BE AT. THEN WE COULD HAVE LEVELED OFF AT OUR ALT AND HEADING WITH NO FURTHER PROB.

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 departure beech jet flight crew overshoots their assigned altitude of 4000 ft during a clearance mix-up with the pct departure controller 2 mi southwest of bwi, md.