Altitude deviation. Turbulence and confusion.

Attributes
ACN	314848
Time
Date	199509
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cmh
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 10600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : cmh
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	314848
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

It was a clear morning with a high overcast. I received a clearance to climb to 4000 ft at zzv. Cmh then cleared me to 8000 ft. I was concerned about thunderstorms ahead. My WX radar indicated thunderstorm to the southeast. Cmh reported no WX in the area. I decided to try a climb on top of the overcast, and asked cmh for a climb to 11000 ft. They replied that 11000 ft was the wrong way for direction. I then asked for and received clearance to climb to 10000 ft, knowing that I would probably need higher. I was still at 4 to 5000 ft but the ceiling looked to be around 8000 ft. When I approached 10000 ft the turbulence became heavy. At this point I was concerned with many things that were going on around me, and I was having trouble maintaining a smooth climb. As I reached 10000 ft we hit a pocket of very severe turbulence. Both my passenger and myself hit the ceiling of the aircraft. I was dazed by the blow and my passenger was delirious afterwards. By the time I had regained my composure we had climbed to 10600 ft. Upon being notified by cmh of this, immediately asked and received clearance to descend to 4000 ft. All the time I was VFR. After the CAT, I divided my time between flying the airplane, my passenger, and the thunderstorm, which now looked to be directly in path to lou. By the time I reached 5000 ft my passenger seemed to be recovering and I turned my attention to him, cmh at this point handed me off to day. I then realized that I may have leveled off at 5000 ft for a short period of time. I called day and continued my descent to 4000 ft. The rest of the flight was uneventful. In retrospect I should have aborted my attempt to climb on top when I realized that I was going to have to go very high to do so. At first I thought that I could enter the overcast at 8000 ft and exit by 11000 ft (hence my confusion about altitude and direction of flight). Climbing to 10000 ft put me just under the overcast which probably caused the turbulence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEV. TURB AND CONFUSION.

Narrative: IT WAS A CLR MORNING WITH A HIGH OVCST. I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CLB TO 4000 FT AT ZZV. CMH THEN CLRED ME TO 8000 FT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT TSTMS AHEAD. MY WX RADAR INDICATED TSTM TO THE SE. CMH RPTED NO WX IN THE AREA. I DECIDED TO TRY A CLB ON TOP OF THE OVCST, AND ASKED CMH FOR A CLB TO 11000 FT. THEY REPLIED THAT 11000 FT WAS THE WRONG WAY FOR DIRECTION. I THEN ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO 10000 FT, KNOWING THAT I WOULD PROBABLY NEED HIGHER. I WAS STILL AT 4 TO 5000 FT BUT THE CEILING LOOKED TO BE AROUND 8000 FT. WHEN I APCHED 10000 FT THE TURB BECAME HEAVY. AT THIS POINT I WAS CONCERNED WITH MANY THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON AROUND ME, AND I WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING A SMOOTH CLB. AS I REACHED 10000 FT WE HIT A POCKET OF VERY SEVERE TURB. BOTH MY PAX AND MYSELF HIT THE CEILING OF THE ACFT. I WAS DAZED BY THE BLOW AND MY PAX WAS DELIRIOUS AFTERWARDS. BY THE TIME I HAD REGAINED MY COMPOSURE WE HAD CLBED TO 10600 FT. UPON BEING NOTIFIED BY CMH OF THIS, IMMEDIATELY ASKED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO 4000 FT. ALL THE TIME I WAS VFR. AFTER THE CAT, I DIVIDED MY TIME BTWN FLYING THE AIRPLANE, MY PAX, AND THE TSTM, WHICH NOW LOOKED TO BE DIRECTLY IN PATH TO LOU. BY THE TIME I REACHED 5000 FT MY PAX SEEMED TO BE RECOVERING AND I TURNED MY ATTENTION TO HIM, CMH AT THIS POINT HANDED ME OFF TO DAY. I THEN REALIZED THAT I MAY HAVE LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I CALLED DAY AND CONTINUED MY DSCNT TO 4000 FT. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE ABORTED MY ATTEMPT TO CLB ON TOP WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GO VERY HIGH TO DO SO. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT I COULD ENTER THE OVCST AT 8000 FT AND EXIT BY 11000 FT (HENCE MY CONFUSION ABOUT ALT AND DIRECTION OF FLT). CLBING TO 10000 FT PUT ME JUST UNDER THE OVCST WHICH PROBABLY CAUSED THE TURB.

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.