Altitude deviation, radio contact lost.

Attributes
ACN	101891
Time
Date	198810
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pir
State Reference	SD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 8600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 17800 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	101891
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I departed pierre, sd, on the last leg of a long day on an IFR flight plan to sioux falls, sd. My clearance was cleared to sioux falls as filed to maintain 5000' and expect 9000' 5 mins later. On departure from pierre with takeoff power noise and passenger talking and the radio too loud, I inadvertently turned the vol down too low to hear center calling me. I saw the other inbound traffic and spacing was never a problem as I was climbing to what I thought was my assigned altitude of 9000'. I finally realized I had not leveled off at 5000' and I was now at 8600'. I immediately called ZMP and confessed what I had done. They said to maintain 9000' and call them by phone. I called them the next morning and they advised of what they would do. The next morning I went to talk to FAA operation inspector at rapid city, sd, about his incident and I asked for a NASA form and he advised me that they weren't available or weren't used anymore or something to that effect. Now almost 3 months later I find out that they are, and this is why this is over 10 days late. I have certainly learned to maintain a cleaner cockpit environment and not to be distracted by passenger talking to me and to be more careful with radio vol control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION, RADIO CONTACT LOST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PIERRE, SD, ON THE LAST LEG OF A LONG DAY ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO SIOUX FALLS, SD. MY CLRNC WAS CLRED TO SIOUX FALLS AS FILED TO MAINTAIN 5000' AND EXPECT 9000' 5 MINS LATER. ON DEP FROM PIERRE WITH TKOF PWR NOISE AND PAX TALKING AND THE RADIO TOO LOUD, I INADVERTENTLY TURNED THE VOL DOWN TOO LOW TO HEAR CENTER CALLING ME. I SAW THE OTHER INBND TFC AND SPACING WAS NEVER A PROB AS I WAS CLBING TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 9000'. I FINALLY REALIZED I HAD NOT LEVELED OFF AT 5000' AND I WAS NOW AT 8600'. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ZMP AND CONFESSED WHAT I HAD DONE. THEY SAID TO MAINTAIN 9000' AND CALL THEM BY PHONE. I CALLED THEM THE NEXT MORNING AND THEY ADVISED OF WHAT THEY WOULD DO. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO TALK TO FAA OPERATION INSPECTOR AT RAPID CITY, SD, ABOUT HIS INCIDENT AND I ASKED FOR A NASA FORM AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE OR WEREN'T USED ANYMORE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. NOW ALMOST 3 MONTHS LATER I FIND OUT THAT THEY ARE, AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS OVER 10 DAYS LATE. I HAVE CERTAINLY LEARNED TO MAINTAIN A CLEANER COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT AND NOT TO BE DISTRACTED BY PAX TALKING TO ME AND TO BE MORE CAREFUL WITH RADIO VOL CONTROL.

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.