Flight crew overshot climb altitude by 200-300 ft.

Attributes
ACN	293460
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vxv
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10290
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : osu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 6610 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	293460
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	293168
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was climbing to 10000 ft. Center turned aircraft approximately 30 degrees left and said 'turn left heading for higher.' captain, hand flying the aircraft, turned left and thought he heard 'clearance to higher altitude.' first officer and so made 10000 ft call as aircraft approached 10000 ft and first officer pushed forward on yoke. Recovery was nearly immediate, but aircraft climbed to approximately 10290 ft. No conflict call was received. Altitude alerter was set at 10000 ft. Captain erred in that he perceived 'for higher' to be the actual clearance when in fact climb clearance had not yet been received. It came shortly after leveling at 10000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OVERSHOT CLB ALT BY 200-300 FT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLBING TO 10000 FT. CTR TURNED ACFT APPROX 30 DEGS L AND SAID 'TURN L HDG FOR HIGHER.' CAPT, HAND FLYING THE ACFT, TURNED L AND THOUGHT HE HEARD 'CLRNC TO HIGHER ALT.' FO AND SO MADE 10000 FT CALL AS ACFT APCHED 10000 FT AND FO PUSHED FORWARD ON YOKE. RECOVERY WAS NEARLY IMMEDIATE, BUT ACFT CLBED TO APPROX 10290 FT. NO CONFLICT CALL WAS RECEIVED. ALT ALERTER WAS SET AT 10000 FT. CAPT ERRED IN THAT HE PERCEIVED 'FOR HIGHER' TO BE THE ACTUAL CLRNC WHEN IN FACT CLB CLRNC HAD NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED. IT CAME SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 10000 FT.

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.