Narrative:

Departed dal with an IFR clearance for radar vectors for the joe pool.3 departure. On climb out; received instruction for immediate evasive action; 'turn to heading 270 degrees.' seconds later; received aural and visual warning of 'traffic' from onboard TCAS. Controller advised that I had only been cleared to 10000 ft MSL and had created a 'near miss' as I climbed through 110000 ft MSL. I thought I had been cleared to 12000 ft MSL; and upon his warning verified that I had written down and entered 12000 ft in the altitude pre-selector. Controller maintained that another aircraft had been cleared to 12000 ft and that they had acknowledged the clearance. I would like to hear the audio recording of the clearance and acknowledgement xmissions as I really had no doubt about being cleared to 12000 ft. If I was in fact only cleared to 10000 ft and acknowledged such; then my brain was completely disconnected. I have had times when I was daydreaming or unsure of a clearance for whatever reason; but this was not one of them. Nevertheless; in hindsight the one thing I realize I should have done better is monitoring the TCAS display. Receiving a traffic warning shouldn't be a surprise if you are appropriately monitoring the movement of targets; which I was not. Even if I was cleared to 12000 ft; seeing the approaching traffic would have caused me to question the controller thus pointing out our difference of understanding and allowing a more timely correction of the situation. We are the beneficiaries of a number of extraordinary pieces of technology; but they are only beneficial to the extent we utilize them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IFR CE525 PILOT DEPARTING DAL HAD A NEAR MISS TCAS EVENT AFTER MISTAKING AN ALT CLEARANCE AND CLBING TO 12000 FT WHEN CLEARED TO 10000 FT.

Narrative: DEPARTED DAL WITH AN IFR CLRNC FOR RADAR VECTORS FOR THE JOE POOL.3 DEP. ON CLBOUT; RECEIVED INSTRUCTION FOR IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION; 'TURN TO HDG 270 DEGS.' SECONDS LATER; RECEIVED AURAL AND VISUAL WARNING OF 'TFC' FROM ONBOARD TCAS. CTLR ADVISED THAT I HAD ONLY BEEN CLRED TO 10000 FT MSL AND HAD CREATED A 'NEAR MISS' AS I CLBED THROUGH 110000 FT MSL. I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO 12000 FT MSL; AND UPON HIS WARNING VERIFIED THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN AND ENTERED 12000 FT IN THE ALT PRE-SELECTOR. CTLR MAINTAINED THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED TO 12000 FT AND THAT THEY HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE AUDIO RECORDING OF THE CLRNC AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT XMISSIONS AS I REALLY HAD NO DOUBT ABOUT BEING CLRED TO 12000 FT. IF I WAS IN FACT ONLY CLRED TO 10000 FT AND ACKNOWLEDGED SUCH; THEN MY BRAIN WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED. I HAVE HAD TIMES WHEN I WAS DAYDREAMING OR UNSURE OF A CLRNC FOR WHATEVER REASON; BUT THIS WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. NEVERTHELESS; IN HINDSIGHT THE ONE THING I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER IS MONITORING THE TCAS DISPLAY. RECEIVING A TFC WARNING SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE IF YOU ARE APPROPRIATELY MONITORING THE MOVEMENT OF TARGETS; WHICH I WAS NOT. EVEN IF I WAS CLRED TO 12000 FT; SEEING THE APCHING TFC WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO QUESTION THE CTLR THUS POINTING OUT OUR DIFFERENCE OF UNDERSTANDING AND ALLOWING A MORE TIMELY CORRECTION OF THE SITUATION. WE ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF A NUMBER OF EXTRAORDINARY PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY; BUT THEY ARE ONLY BENEFICIAL TO THE EXTENT WE UTILIZE THEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.