Narrative:

Having gotten too little sleep after an emotional breakup with my sweetheart of long standing, I took off from naples, fl (apf) to 47N (about 7 hours) VFR. I picked up flight following from ft myers who handed me off to ZMA. At 4500 ft, clouds began to build, so I called miami for an IFR clearance to VFR on top. Got the clearance to 7000 ft and climbed to 6000 ft -- thinking I was at 7000 ft and called center that I was on top at 7000 ft. The next controller told me I was at 6000 ft, so I climbed to 7000 ft and continued VFR on top. Later, I was cleared to, I think, 7500 ft but busted through that by a few hundred ft before I caught it. All around, poor flying. I was thinking about the breakup and with little sleep, plted very poorly, I'm sorry to say. Next time, I'll stay on the ground unless I'm physically and emotionally ready to undertake a flight -- especially a long flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177 PLT WHO WAS FATIGUED AND EMOTIONALLY UNFIT TO FLY, HAS AN ALTDEV WHILE FLYING IFR.

Narrative: HAVING GOTTEN TOO LITTLE SLEEP AFTER AN EMOTIONAL BREAKUP WITH MY SWEETHEART OF LONG STANDING, I TOOK OFF FROM NAPLES, FL (APF) TO 47N (ABOUT 7 HRS) VFR. I PICKED UP FLT FOLLOWING FROM FT MYERS WHO HANDED ME OFF TO ZMA. AT 4500 FT, CLOUDS BEGAN TO BUILD, SO I CALLED MIAMI FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO VFR ON TOP. GOT THE CLRNC TO 7000 FT AND CLBED TO 6000 FT -- THINKING I WAS AT 7000 FT AND CALLED CTR THAT I WAS ON TOP AT 7000 FT. THE NEXT CTLR TOLD ME I WAS AT 6000 FT, SO I CLBED TO 7000 FT AND CONTINUED VFR ON TOP. LATER, I WAS CLRED TO, I THINK, 7500 FT BUT BUSTED THROUGH THAT BY A FEW HUNDRED FT BEFORE I CAUGHT IT. ALL AROUND, POOR FLYING. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE BREAKUP AND WITH LITTLE SLEEP, PLTED VERY POORLY, I'M SORRY TO SAY. NEXT TIME, I'LL STAY ON THE GND UNLESS I'M PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY READY TO UNDERTAKE A FLT -- ESPECIALLY A LONG FLT.

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.