Thought cleared to FL220. Clearance as issued and acknowledged FL200. Less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	101300
Time
Date	198901
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phk
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma tower : orf
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10700 flight time type : 2080
ASRS Report	101300
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	101514
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 22200 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight plan filed from pbi-msp. We were climbing to (what we thought was) FL220. Center had cleared us to FL200. We were looking for traffic that center advised was in our 8 O'clock position at FL210. We even commented that this was strange since we would be climbing through that altitude. Center advised that he showed FL206 on altitude readout and instructed us to return to FL200. Shortly after returning to FL200, we were cleared to a higher altitude. Center advised that they would be checking the tapes. We contacted center by phone the following day. We were only cleared to FL200, and we had rogered FL200. The copilot had set FL220 in the altitude alerter, but read back FL200 to center. Obviously, both of us made a mistake. I should have been more aware of the altitude calls, and what was being set in the altitude alerter. Again, we may be relying on the altitude alerter too much and not paying enough attention to basic instrument readout in addition to the obvious. Listen to the radio calls! The ATC tape showed our highest altitude to be 20700', with a vertical sep of 300' and latitude sep of 3.7 mi. This sep was from an large transport at FL210.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THOUGHT CLEARED TO FL220. CLRNC AS ISSUED AND ACKNOWLEDGED FL200. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: FLT PLAN FILED FROM PBI-MSP. WE WERE CLBING TO (WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS) FL220. CENTER HAD CLRED US TO FL200. WE WERE LOOKING FOR TFC THAT CENTER ADVISED WAS IN OUR 8 O'CLOCK POS AT FL210. WE EVEN COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS STRANGE SINCE WE WOULD BE CLBING THROUGH THAT ALT. CENTER ADVISED THAT HE SHOWED FL206 ON ALT READOUT AND INSTRUCTED US TO RETURN TO FL200. SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING TO FL200, WE WERE CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT. CENTER ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD BE CHKING THE TAPES. WE CONTACTED CENTER BY PHONE THE FOLLOWING DAY. WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO FL200, AND WE HAD ROGERED FL200. THE COPLT HAD SET FL220 IN THE ALT ALERTER, BUT READ BACK FL200 TO CENTER. OBVIOUSLY, BOTH OF US MADE A MISTAKE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE ALT CALLS, AND WHAT WAS BEING SET IN THE ALT ALERTER. AGAIN, WE MAY BE RELYING ON THE ALT ALERTER TOO MUCH AND NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO BASIC INSTRUMENT READOUT IN ADDITION TO THE OBVIOUS. LISTEN TO THE RADIO CALLS! THE ATC TAPE SHOWED OUR HIGHEST ALT TO BE 20700', WITH A VERT SEP OF 300' AND LAT SEP OF 3.7 MI. THIS SEP WAS FROM AN LGT AT FL210.

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.