Narrative:

Departure out of atl was hectic and rushed. The aircraft was late arriving so preflight activities were rushed. The rushed departure became moreso by a radio problem that had to be fixed before departure. To top it all off, the original captain was replaced at the last min by a new captain who arrived just mins before departure. We were informed during taxi-out of a 'no later than' wheels up time that was mins away. Also during taxi-out we were informed of a windshear at 200' AGL. This gave us another distraction to discuss. During departure several non-standard events occurred. We climbed through WX and were asked for best rate. Throughout the climb we were unsure as to whether or not we had a continuing radio problem as several times the captain turned and asked for confirmation of a transmission. In addition another flight with a callsign similar to ours, save one number, was in the area headed in the same direction. It is possible we picked up his clearance. At the time of the event, we were on a vector for climb, passing through 35000'. At this point the controller instructed us to level at 35000'. Supplemental information from acn 169766. Contributing factors were last min crew change, maintenance delay, rushed taxi, expedite climb to 10000' followed by relief at the less stressful work load during the late climb phase. This let down must have led to a degree of relaxation that contributed to misunderstanding the pilot clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: DEP OUT OF ATL WAS HECTIC AND RUSHED. THE ACFT WAS LATE ARRIVING SO PREFLT ACTIVITIES WERE RUSHED. THE RUSHED DEP BECAME MORESO BY A RADIO PROB THAT HAD TO BE FIXED BEFORE DEP. TO TOP IT ALL OFF, THE ORIGINAL CAPT WAS REPLACED AT THE LAST MIN BY A NEW CAPT WHO ARRIVED JUST MINS BEFORE DEP. WE WERE INFORMED DURING TAXI-OUT OF A 'NO LATER THAN' WHEELS UP TIME THAT WAS MINS AWAY. ALSO DURING TAXI-OUT WE WERE INFORMED OF A WINDSHEAR AT 200' AGL. THIS GAVE US ANOTHER DISTR TO DISCUSS. DURING DEP SEVERAL NON-STANDARD EVENTS OCCURRED. WE CLBED THROUGH WX AND WERE ASKED FOR BEST RATE. THROUGHOUT THE CLB WE WERE UNSURE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD A CONTINUING RADIO PROB AS SEVERAL TIMES THE CAPT TURNED AND ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF A XMISSION. IN ADDITION ANOTHER FLT WITH A CALLSIGN SIMILAR TO OURS, SAVE ONE NUMBER, WAS IN THE AREA HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION. IT IS POSSIBLE WE PICKED UP HIS CLRNC. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, WE WERE ON A VECTOR FOR CLB, PASSING THROUGH 35000'. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO LEVEL AT 35000'. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 169766. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LAST MIN CREW CHANGE, MAINT DELAY, RUSHED TAXI, EXPEDITE CLB TO 10000' FOLLOWED BY RELIEF AT THE LESS STRESSFUL WORK LOAD DURING THE LATE CLB PHASE. THIS LET DOWN MUST HAVE LED TO A DEG OF RELAXATION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MISUNDERSTANDING THE PLT CLRNC.

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.