Narrative:

During climb out, day-mci, between 14000 ft and 16000 ft, the captain told me to monitor ZID as he needed to resolve a question with our flight plan with dispatch dayton. I then had control of the airplane as well as the radio. The controller began to step climb us as result of traffic above us, in fact the controller advised us that we might see traffic at our 10 O'clock position. I spotted traffic while level FL190, both airplanes were then clear of clouds. I was then given what I understood to be a climb clearance from FL190 to FL220, I believe that's what I read back because I deliberately set FL220 in altitude alerter and commenced climbing the airplane. Approximately FL200 the rest of the crew joined me. The captain reassumed control of the radio communication. We all had visual contact with our 10 O'clock traffic who was still above us. I don't believe we were given the altitude of the traffic, he was also apparently climbing. Approximately FL210 the controller queried us and then issued instructions for an immediate descent back to FL200. The controller subsequently informed us of a possible 'deviation.' supplemental information from acn 298218: my subsequent review of the ATC tape revealed that he read back FL200 and then set FL220 in the altitude alerter. I would advise flcs to do the following: 1) avoid, when possible, non-ATC communications during periods of high ATC activity (such as when receiving step-climb altitude assignments). 2) use the autoplt to reduce cockpit workload when 1 pilot is off the ATC frequency. 3) use a 3RD crewmember (if available) to assume altitude confirmation duties when 1 pilot is off the ATC frequency. Supplemental information from acn 298673: first officer thought clearance was to FL220 not FL200. This error may have been prevented if I, flight engineer, had switched to ATC frequency and backed up first officer while captain was on company frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV WHILE 1 MEMBER OF A 3 MEMBER FLC IS FLYING AND WORKING THE RADIOS.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT, DAY-MCI, BTWN 14000 FT AND 16000 FT, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO MONITOR ZID AS HE NEEDED TO RESOLVE A QUESTION WITH OUR FLT PLAN WITH DISPATCH DAYTON. I THEN HAD CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AS WELL AS THE RADIO. THE CTLR BEGAN TO STEP CLB US AS RESULT OF TFC ABOVE US, IN FACT THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE MIGHT SEE TFC AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS. I SPOTTED TFC WHILE LEVEL FL190, BOTH AIRPLANES WERE THEN CLR OF CLOUDS. I WAS THEN GIVEN WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TO BE A CLB CLRNC FROM FL190 TO FL220, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT I READ BACK BECAUSE I DELIBERATELY SET FL220 IN ALT ALERTER AND COMMENCED CLBING THE AIRPLANE. APPROX FL200 THE REST OF THE CREW JOINED ME. THE CAPT REASSUMED CTL OF THE RADIO COM. WE ALL HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH OUR 10 O'CLOCK TFC WHO WAS STILL ABOVE US. I DON'T BELIEVE WE WERE GIVEN THE ALT OF THE TFC, HE WAS ALSO APPARENTLY CLBING. APPROX FL210 THE CTLR QUERIED US AND THEN ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT BACK TO FL200. THE CTLR SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED US OF A POSSIBLE 'DEV.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 298218: MY SUBSEQUENT REVIEW OF THE ATC TAPE REVEALED THAT HE READ BACK FL200 AND THEN SET FL220 IN THE ALT ALERTER. I WOULD ADVISE FLCS TO DO THE FOLLOWING: 1) AVOID, WHEN POSSIBLE, NON-ATC COMS DURING PERIODS OF HIGH ATC ACTIVITY (SUCH AS WHEN RECEIVING STEP-CLB ALT ASSIGNMENTS). 2) USE THE AUTOPLT TO REDUCE COCKPIT WORKLOAD WHEN 1 PLT IS OFF THE ATC FREQ. 3) USE A 3RD CREWMEMBER (IF AVAILABLE) TO ASSUME ALT CONFIRMATION DUTIES WHEN 1 PLT IS OFF THE ATC FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 298673: FO THOUGHT CLRNC WAS TO FL220 NOT FL200. THIS ERROR MAY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I, FE, HAD SWITCHED TO ATC FREQ AND BACKED UP FO WHILE CAPT WAS ON COMPANY FREQ.

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.