Narrative:

This flight was an air refueling mission to refuel a C135 on AR207 southwest/northeast. On our flight to the ar track, the copilot's attitude indicator became inoperative. With nighttime approaching and poor WX forecast at our destination, we decided to return to gus (our departure) and cancel the air refueling. On tactical frequency, the C135 recommended random refueling on our way back to gus. We tried to coordinate this request with ZDC, but they were so busy that they could not accommodate us. We then terminated with the C135 and requested to return to gus. This change in flight plan combined with the busy traffic conditions seemed to cause problems at ZDC. At the same time, our cockpit became very busy with the inoperative instrument, change of flight plan, coordination with our command post and the C135, busy traffic conditions and not to mention flying the aircraft. We finally got a clearance back to gus, with what I thought was a climb to FL310. My copilot was a little unsure of this clearance, but ZDC was so busy we could not get a call off to them to confirm the altitude. Passing through FL290 on our way up to FL310 ZDC called us (new controller) and asked us if we could make FL350. We answered yes immediately and the controller responded with 'you were supposed to be at FL290, climb and maintain FL350, turn 20 degrees to the right.' the rest of the flight was uneventful. Contributing to this problem: 1) attitude indicator failure (nighttime approaching and possible IMC conditions). 2) ZDC being extremely busy. 3) having to change plans in extremely busy airspace. 4) our cockpit becoming very busy as we were trying to deal with instrument failure, changing flight plans, the C135, and ZDC all at the same time. CRM?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KC135 HAS INSTRUMENTATION PROBS AND MUST RETURN TO DEP ARPT. ENRTE HAS AN ALTDEV.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS AN AIR REFUELING MISSION TO REFUEL A C135 ON AR207 SW/NE. ON OUR FLT TO THE AR TRACK, THE COPLT'S ATTITUDE INDICATOR BECAME INOP. WITH NIGHTTIME APCHING AND POOR WX FORECAST AT OUR DEST, WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO GUS (OUR DEP) AND CANCEL THE AIR REFUELING. ON TACTICAL FREQ, THE C135 RECOMMENDED RANDOM REFUELING ON OUR WAY BACK TO GUS. WE TRIED TO COORDINATE THIS REQUEST WITH ZDC, BUT THEY WERE SO BUSY THAT THEY COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE US. WE THEN TERMINATED WITH THE C135 AND REQUESTED TO RETURN TO GUS. THIS CHANGE IN FLT PLAN COMBINED WITH THE BUSY TFC CONDITIONS SEEMED TO CAUSE PROBS AT ZDC. AT THE SAME TIME, OUR COCKPIT BECAME VERY BUSY WITH THE INOP INST, CHANGE OF FLT PLAN, COORD WITH OUR COMMAND POST AND THE C135, BUSY TFC CONDITIONS AND NOT TO MENTION FLYING THE ACFT. WE FINALLY GOT A CLRNC BACK TO GUS, WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CLB TO FL310. MY COPLT WAS A LITTLE UNSURE OF THIS CLRNC, BUT ZDC WAS SO BUSY WE COULD NOT GET A CALL OFF TO THEM TO CONFIRM THE ALT. PASSING THROUGH FL290 ON OUR WAY UP TO FL310 ZDC CALLED US (NEW CTLR) AND ASKED US IF WE COULD MAKE FL350. WE ANSWERED YES IMMEDIATELY AND THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT FL290, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL350, TURN 20 DEGS TO THE R.' THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS PROB: 1) ATTITUDE INDICATOR FAILURE (NIGHTTIME APCHING AND POSSIBLE IMC CONDITIONS). 2) ZDC BEING EXTREMELY BUSY. 3) HAVING TO CHANGE PLANS IN EXTREMELY BUSY AIRSPACE. 4) OUR COCKPIT BECOMING VERY BUSY AS WE WERE TRYING TO DEAL WITH INST FAILURE, CHANGING FLT PLANS, THE C135, AND ZDC ALL AT THE SAME TIME. CRM?

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.