Narrative:

On climb out of 10000 ft center requested 320 KT speed for the dtw arrival gate, and maintain 11000 ft. Just prior to level off, first officer acknowledged a climb clearance from ZAU to climb to 16000 ft. I noticed a TCASII traffic at about 2 O'clock, 6 mi at 2400 ft above us. I looked out and saw an aircraft at about that position. We were climbing at about 2000 FPM at 320 KTS. We got a TA then an RA and a 2000 FPM descent. I executed a pitch over and descent to 2000 FPM and about that time ZAU asked us to maintain 13000 ft and said that was our cleared altitude. I leveled off at 13000 ft and told center that we had never heard or acknowledged the 13000 ft altitude assignment. We then got a frequency change to ZID. Solution: as medium large transport captain for major airline in and out of the dtw area, I feel that the ATC system is too busy. The controllers have too many airplanes to work with frequency congestion and coordinated arrival sequencing. Too many hubs in such a small area of the center (i.e., dtw, cvg, pit, cle, ord) for the present system to handle when WX or equipment failure happens -- not mentioning just day in, day out operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT OVERSHOT CLB ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT OF 10000 FT CTR REQUESTED 320 KT SPD FOR THE DTW ARR GATE, AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT. JUST PRIOR TO LEVEL OFF, FO ACKNOWLEDGED A CLB CLRNC FROM ZAU TO CLB TO 16000 FT. I NOTICED A TCASII TFC AT ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK, 6 MI AT 2400 FT ABOVE US. I LOOKED OUT AND SAW AN ACFT AT ABOUT THAT POS. WE WERE CLBING AT ABOUT 2000 FPM AT 320 KTS. WE GOT A TA THEN AN RA AND A 2000 FPM DSCNT. I EXECUTED A PITCH OVER AND DSCNT TO 2000 FPM AND ABOUT THAT TIME ZAU ASKED US TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT AND SAID THAT WAS OUR CLRED ALT. I LEVELED OFF AT 13000 FT AND TOLD CTR THAT WE HAD NEVER HEARD OR ACKNOWLEDGED THE 13000 FT ALT ASSIGNMENT. WE THEN GOT A FREQ CHANGE TO ZID. SOLUTION: AS MLG CAPT FOR MAJOR AIRLINE IN AND OUT OF THE DTW AREA, I FEEL THAT THE ATC SYS IS TOO BUSY. THE CTLRS HAVE TOO MANY AIRPLANES TO WORK WITH FREQ CONGESTION AND COORDINATED ARR SEQUENCING. TOO MANY HUBS IN SUCH A SMALL AREA OF THE CTR (I.E., DTW, CVG, PIT, CLE, ORD) FOR THE PRESENT SYS TO HANDLE WHEN WX OR EQUIP FAILURE HAPPENS -- NOT MENTIONING JUST DAY IN, DAY OUT OPS.

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.