Narrative:

While departing sdf with a heavy tower on the south side of the airport, ATC seemed to be confused about how I wanted to deviate around the WX. I planned to turn right after takeoff of runway 19. The controller said, 'unable due to the aircraft departing behind you.' I said, 'ok, we will make a tight left turn then to the east.' we did this and stayed north of the cell and I told ATC we would stay on that heading for 6 mi, and then turn southeast and intercept J99 on that heading. Everything went perfectly as I planned and we went around the WX safely and smoothly. We encountered light turbulence in IMC for about 10 seconds. This is just as the first officer was leveling the aircraft at the cleared to altitude of 10000'. In the turbulence the aircraft bounced up to 10200', then right back to 10000' where we remained level. The controller called in an angry tone and said, 'I show you at 10400'.' I replied, 'no sir, we are at 10000' right now.' he insisted we were at 10400', and in the middle of his statement said, 'it just jumped back down to 10200'.' I was very busy plotting a course through the WX and now I was double-checking and x-chking the altimeters. The controller gave me the frequency change to ZID and I once more told the controller that we were level at 10000' the whole time (trying to get a verification of the altitude, but he did not answer). I called ZID and they had no problem with our altitude. The rest of the flight we had no problem with the altitude reporting. Supplemental information from acn 147987: ZID mad no comment about any altitude irregularities and the flight continued west/O further incident. Upon arrival at charlotte, the captain wrote up the encoding altimeter on the transponder, but no problems were found.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW OVERSHOOTS ASSIGNED ALT IN CLIMB.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING SDF WITH A HVY TWR ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT, ATC SEEMED TO BE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW I WANTED TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WX. I PLANNED TO TURN RIGHT AFTER TKOF OF RWY 19. THE CTLR SAID, 'UNABLE DUE TO THE ACFT DEPARTING BEHIND YOU.' I SAID, 'OK, WE WILL MAKE A TIGHT LEFT TURN THEN TO THE E.' WE DID THIS AND STAYED N OF THE CELL AND I TOLD ATC WE WOULD STAY ON THAT HDG FOR 6 MI, AND THEN TURN SE AND INTERCEPT J99 ON THAT HDG. EVERYTHING WENT PERFECTLY AS I PLANNED AND WE WENT AROUND THE WX SAFELY AND SMOOTHLY. WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TURB IN IMC FOR ABOUT 10 SECS. THIS IS JUST AS THE F/O WAS LEVELING THE ACFT AT THE CLRED TO ALT OF 10000'. IN THE TURB THE ACFT BOUNCED UP TO 10200', THEN RIGHT BACK TO 10000' WHERE WE REMAINED LEVEL. THE CTLR CALLED IN AN ANGRY TONE AND SAID, 'I SHOW YOU AT 10400'.' I REPLIED, 'NO SIR, WE ARE AT 10000' RIGHT NOW.' HE INSISTED WE WERE AT 10400', AND IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS STATEMENT SAID, 'IT JUST JUMPED BACK DOWN TO 10200'.' I WAS VERY BUSY PLOTTING A COURSE THROUGH THE WX AND NOW I WAS DOUBLE-CHKING AND X-CHKING THE ALTIMETERS. THE CTLR GAVE ME THE FREQ CHANGE TO ZID AND I ONCE MORE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000' THE WHOLE TIME (TRYING TO GET A VERIFICATION OF THE ALT, BUT HE DID NOT ANSWER). I CALLED ZID AND THEY HAD NO PROB WITH OUR ALT. THE REST OF THE FLT WE HAD NO PROB WITH THE ALT RPTING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 147987: ZID MAD NO COMMENT ABOUT ANY ALT IRREGULARITIES AND THE FLT CONTINUED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON ARR AT CHARLOTTE, THE CAPT WROTE UP THE ENCODING ALTIMETER ON THE XPONDER, BUT NO PROBS WERE FOUND.

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