Narrative:

The original departure was runway heading, climb to 5000'. Tower switched us to departure control at about 1000' AGL. Departure control gave us a turn to 130 degree heading and a climb to 13000', or so we all thought. Departure control says they gave us 10000' and that I replied 'climbing to 10000'.' I absolutely cannot remember anything being said about 10000', but I certainly may be mistaken. We were then given another turn to about 030 degrees, and cleared direct to cvg and told to contact ZID. It took a couple of tries to get through because he was very busy and working more than 1 frequency. I believe when I finally got through I reported us climbing through 8600' (about) for 13000'. He rogered this and told us to turn to 360 degrees. Approximately 2 mins later he asked what altitude we were climbing to (or out of), and I said '12500' (about) for 13000.' he said, 'negative, you should be at 12000'.' very quickly thereafter he said 'turn left to 270 degrees and descend to 10000'.' at that point, another controller came on and we continued to day. I can see several possible causes of this event: I may have set 13000' in the altitude reminder because I had set it in the heading bug (130), and when ZID acknowledged our climb, it reaffirmed it to us. The altitude reminder in some large transport is not easily visible, nor accessible to all crew members. The ZID controller was very busy--I believe he was working multiple frequencys. At this time I don't know for sure whether the louisville departure control gave us 13000' or 10000', but if it was 10000' I can't understand why someone didn't catch the mistake of setting in the wrong altitude, except that possibly we start believing what we see in that instrument and don't think about what has been said. Supplemental information from acn 128109: I feel a contributing factor was the early morning hour of the flight and the fact that it was the last leg of the day, so fatigue was a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. OVERSHOT IN CLIMB.

Narrative: THE ORIGINAL DEP WAS RWY HDG, CLB TO 5000'. TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP CTL AT ABOUT 1000' AGL. DEP CTL GAVE US A TURN TO 130 DEG HDG AND A CLB TO 13000', OR SO WE ALL THOUGHT. DEP CTL SAYS THEY GAVE US 10000' AND THAT I REPLIED 'CLBING TO 10000'.' I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT REMEMBER ANYTHING BEING SAID ABOUT 10000', BUT I CERTAINLY MAY BE MISTAKEN. WE WERE THEN GIVEN ANOTHER TURN TO ABOUT 030 DEGS, AND CLRED DIRECT TO CVG AND TOLD TO CONTACT ZID. IT TOOK A COUPLE OF TRIES TO GET THROUGH BECAUSE HE WAS VERY BUSY AND WORKING MORE THAN 1 FREQ. I BELIEVE WHEN I FINALLY GOT THROUGH I RPTED US CLBING THROUGH 8600' (ABOUT) FOR 13000'. HE ROGERED THIS AND TOLD US TO TURN TO 360 DEGS. APPROX 2 MINS LATER HE ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE CLBING TO (OR OUT OF), AND I SAID '12500' (ABOUT) FOR 13000.' HE SAID, 'NEGATIVE, YOU SHOULD BE AT 12000'.' VERY QUICKLY THEREAFTER HE SAID 'TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGS AND DSND TO 10000'.' AT THAT POINT, ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON AND WE CONTINUED TO DAY. I CAN SEE SEVERAL POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THIS EVENT: I MAY HAVE SET 13000' IN THE ALT REMINDER BECAUSE I HAD SET IT IN THE HDG BUG (130), AND WHEN ZID ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CLB, IT REAFFIRMED IT TO US. THE ALT REMINDER IN SOME LGT IS NOT EASILY VISIBLE, NOR ACCESSIBLE TO ALL CREW MEMBERS. THE ZID CTLR WAS VERY BUSY--I BELIEVE HE WAS WORKING MULTIPLE FREQS. AT THIS TIME I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE WHETHER THE LOUISVILLE DEP CTL GAVE US 13000' OR 10000', BUT IF IT WAS 10000' I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEONE DIDN'T CATCH THE MISTAKE OF SETTING IN THE WRONG ALT, EXCEPT THAT POSSIBLY WE START BELIEVING WHAT WE SEE IN THAT INSTRUMENT AND DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN SAID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 128109: I FEEL A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE EARLY MORNING HR OF THE FLT AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS THE LAST LEG OF THE DAY, SO FATIGUE WAS A 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.