Narrative:

On departure from new orleans lakefront, we were step climbed to FL290. At altitude we were climbing 3 layers of high altitude clouds that were feeding into hurricane gilbert. We were encountering continuous light, occasionally moderate chop. As we climbed through FL280 and received our altitude alerter (1000' to go) warning, I became aware that we were beginning to pick up rime ice at a rapid rate. I began checking to see that all anti-ice/de-ice systems were on and operating. At this same time, center was clearing us direction to greenwood VOR and issuing a traffic advisory. I became distracted by the icing conditions and the copilot was distracted trying to locate the greenwood VOR frequency. I realized that I was above my assigned altitude at about 29700' and began my descent back to FL290 at the same time the controller was pointing out the deviation. Human performance: I fixated on the icing problem briefly and should have been flying the airplane. I was used to flying aircraft with altitude preselect/level off features on the autoplt and this aircraft did not have this feature. Even though the level off feature still requires monitoring to see that it functions properly, it does reduce workload significantly in a high performance aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter made a followup telephone call to a ZME supervisor. The supervisor informed reporter that a computer detected loss of sep occurred and that all the evidence would be forwarded to FSDO. Reporter has since heard that an investigation is being conducted by FSDO. Nothing more has transpired. Reporter admitted that he was distracted by the icing problem and did not pay enough attention to the level off process. Not having a flight director with altitude capture on that aircraft was a contributing factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEPARATION LOST WHEN CPR-LTT OVERSHOT CLIMB TO FL290 AND CONFLICTED WITH AN ACR-LGT AT FL310.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT, WE WERE STEP CLBED TO FL290. AT ALT WE WERE CLBING 3 LAYERS OF HIGH ALT CLOUDS THAT WERE FEEDING INTO HURRICANE GILBERT. WE WERE ENCOUNTERING CONTINUOUS LIGHT, OCCASIONALLY MODERATE CHOP. AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL280 AND RECEIVED OUR ALT ALERTER (1000' TO GO) WARNING, I BECAME AWARE THAT WE WERE BEGINNING TO PICK UP RIME ICE AT A RAPID RATE. I BEGAN CHKING TO SEE THAT ALL ANTI-ICE/DE-ICE SYSTEMS WERE ON AND OPERATING. AT THIS SAME TIME, CENTER WAS CLRING US DIRECTION TO GREENWOOD VOR AND ISSUING A TFC ADVISORY. I BECAME DISTRACTED BY THE ICING CONDITIONS AND THE COPLT WAS DISTRACTED TRYING TO LOCATE THE GREENWOOD VOR FREQ. I REALIZED THAT I WAS ABOVE MY ASSIGNED ALT AT ABOUT 29700' AND BEGAN MY DSCNT BACK TO FL290 AT THE SAME TIME THE CTLR WAS POINTING OUT THE DEVIATION. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: I FIXATED ON THE ICING PROB BRIEFLY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLYING THE AIRPLANE. I WAS USED TO FLYING ACFT WITH ALT PRESELECT/LEVEL OFF FEATURES ON THE AUTOPLT AND THIS ACFT DID NOT HAVE THIS FEATURE. EVEN THOUGH THE LEVEL OFF FEATURE STILL REQUIRES MONITORING TO SEE THAT IT FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, IT DOES REDUCE WORKLOAD SIGNIFICANTLY IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR MADE A FOLLOWUP TELEPHONE CALL TO A ZME SUPVR. THE SUPVR INFORMED RPTR THAT A COMPUTER DETECTED LOSS OF SEP OCCURRED AND THAT ALL THE EVIDENCE WOULD BE FORWARDED TO FSDO. RPTR HAS SINCE HEARD THAT AN INVESTIGATION IS BEING CONDUCTED BY FSDO. NOTHING MORE HAS TRANSPIRED. RPTR ADMITTED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE ICING PROB AND DID NOT PAY ENOUGH ATTN TO THE LEVEL OFF PROCESS. NOT HAVING A FLT DIRECTOR WITH ALT CAPTURE ON THAT ACFT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.