Narrative:

We made an uneventful takeoff from gso en route to freeport, bahamas and checked in with departure control. While climbing on the SID, departure control cleared us to 10000'. What followed resulted in the ongoing investigation by the FAA. Departure then issued us the following change: turn left, direct wilmington, climb and maintain 9000'.' I read back the change but the latter portion of that amendment was not adhered to. In my opinion, the altitude change did not register with any crew member in part due to the manner in which it was given. The change was both multiple (new course and new altitude), and also limiting (new altitude was a thousand ft lower than previous clearance) which makes it complex. Given that a climb out altitude lower than the original altitude is not a common change, it would have been prudent to place an emphasis on the altitude change. I began working on the amended clearance in the sequence in which it had been issued (ie, looking up the correct VOR frequency, identing the station, tuning the omega in the absence of a reliable signal). A few moments later, the controller told us to 'maintain 9000' for traffic.' this was the first mention of any conflict. Upon realizing this, I asked her if she would like us to descend. A supervisor gave us a different heading and pointed out traffic. I sighted the traffic and informed him it was 'no factor'. The new controller then gave us a reclrnc to 10000' and cleared us direct wilmington. We acknowledged and he switched us to a new center frequency. This entire episode happened in a matter of seconds and, given the altitude reminder had stayed at 10000', I never occurred to me that we had violated any airspace. Further more we were never informed by either controller that a potential violation had occurred and that an investigation would follow. Because of this we failed to use the NASA aviation safety reporting system at the time of the occurrence. However, in the interest of safety and education and to prevent a possible reoccurrence I am now filing a NASA report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMB OUT FROM GSO RESULTS IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC.

Narrative: WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF FROM GSO ENRTE TO FREEPORT, BAHAMAS AND CHKED IN WITH DEP CTL. WHILE CLBING ON THE SID, DEP CTL CLRED US TO 10000'. WHAT FOLLOWED RESULTED IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA. DEP THEN ISSUED US THE FOLLOWING CHANGE: TURN L, DIRECT WILMINGTON, CLB AND MAINTAIN 9000'.' I READ BACK THE CHANGE BUT THE LATTER PORTION OF THAT AMENDMENT WAS NOT ADHERED TO. IN MY OPINION, THE ALT CHANGE DID NOT REGISTER WITH ANY CREW MEMBER IN PART DUE TO THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS GIVEN. THE CHANGE WAS BOTH MULTIPLE (NEW COURSE AND NEW ALT), AND ALSO LIMITING (NEW ALT WAS A THOUSAND FT LOWER THAN PREVIOUS CLRNC) WHICH MAKES IT COMPLEX. GIVEN THAT A CLBOUT ALT LOWER THAN THE ORIGINAL ALT IS NOT A COMMON CHANGE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT TO PLACE AN EMPHASIS ON THE ALT CHANGE. I BEGAN WORKING ON THE AMENDED CLRNC IN THE SEQUENCE IN WHICH IT HAD BEEN ISSUED (IE, LOOKING UP THE CORRECT VOR FREQ, IDENTING THE STATION, TUNING THE OMEGA IN THE ABSENCE OF A RELIABLE SIGNAL). A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE CTLR TOLD US TO 'MAINTAIN 9000' FOR TFC.' THIS WAS THE FIRST MENTION OF ANY CONFLICT. UPON REALIZING THIS, I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD LIKE US TO DSND. A SUPVR GAVE US A DIFFERENT HDG AND POINTED OUT TFC. I SIGHTED THE TFC AND INFORMED HIM IT WAS 'NO FACTOR'. THE NEW CTLR THEN GAVE US A RECLRNC TO 10000' AND CLRED US DIRECT WILMINGTON. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND HE SWITCHED US TO A NEW CTR FREQ. THIS ENTIRE EPISODE HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF SECS AND, GIVEN THE ALT REMINDER HAD STAYED AT 10000', I NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE HAD VIOLATED ANY AIRSPACE. FURTHER MORE WE WERE NEVER INFORMED BY EITHER CTLR THAT A POTENTIAL VIOLATION HAD OCCURRED AND THAT AN INVESTIGATION WOULD FOLLOW. BECAUSE OF THIS WE FAILED TO USE THE NASA AVIATION SAFETY REPORTING SYSTEM AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND EDUCATION AND TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE REOCCURRENCE I AM NOW FILING A NASA RPT.

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.