Narrative:

Upon taxi out of hobbs, NM, at XA45 I was aware of strong tailwinds at my filed altitude of 11000 ft. When I called for clearance I learned that my flight plan had dropped out of the system and was being put back in. As I waited I heard another aircraft report a good ground speed at 11000 ft. I received my clearance with the normal routing and an altitude of 7000 ft, and I read it back correctly. I departed and climbed on course, upon receiving a handoff to ZFW I had forgotten to level off at 7000 ft. I called center climbing through 7500 ft for 11000 ft. Center asked my assigned altitude, I replied 11000 ft. Center said stand by while I check, at which point I remembered that I should have stopped at 7000 ft. I immediately began a descent back to 7000 ft. Center asked again for my assigned altitude. I said 7000 ft, I'm descending to 7000 ft. I then asked center if this (altitude) was because of traffic of what? There was no reply. Center cleared me to 11000 ft. I read it back and climbed to 11000 ft. Center advised me of a possible pilot deviation, to call ZFW on the ground, and handed me off to the next sector. I believe that through the familiarity of my usual clearance to 11000 ft and my plans to climb to a good tailwind altitude, I had developed a mindset of climbing to 11000 ft which overshadowed my assigned altitude of 7000 ft. To assure that this will not happen again I have adopted 2 methods of engraving the assigned altitude in my memory -- I write it down and dial it into my ADF display.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT SEL TURBOPROP CARGO ACFT OVERSHOT CLB ALT DUE TO THE MINDSET OF A HIGHER ALT FAVORED BECAUSE OF AN EXPECTED TAILWIND. ATC INTERVENED AND EVENTUALLY ASSIGNED HIM THE DESIRED HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: UPON TAXI OUT OF HOBBS, NM, AT XA45 I WAS AWARE OF STRONG TAILWINDS AT MY FILED ALT OF 11000 FT. WHEN I CALLED FOR CLRNC I LEARNED THAT MY FLT PLAN HAD DROPPED OUT OF THE SYS AND WAS BEING PUT BACK IN. AS I WAITED I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RPT A GOOD GND SPD AT 11000 FT. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC WITH THE NORMAL ROUTING AND AN ALT OF 7000 FT, AND I READ IT BACK CORRECTLY. I DEPARTED AND CLBED ON COURSE, UPON RECEIVING A HDOF TO ZFW I HAD FORGOTTEN TO LEVEL OFF AT 7000 FT. I CALLED CTR CLBING THROUGH 7500 FT FOR 11000 FT. CTR ASKED MY ASSIGNED ALT, I REPLIED 11000 FT. CTR SAID STAND BY WHILE I CHK, AT WHICH POINT I REMEMBERED THAT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AT 7000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT BACK TO 7000 FT. CTR ASKED AGAIN FOR MY ASSIGNED ALT. I SAID 7000 FT, I'M DSNDING TO 7000 FT. I THEN ASKED CTR IF THIS (ALT) WAS BECAUSE OF TFC OF WHAT? THERE WAS NO REPLY. CTR CLRED ME TO 11000 FT. I READ IT BACK AND CLBED TO 11000 FT. CTR ADVISED ME OF A POSSIBLE PLTDEV, TO CALL ZFW ON THE GND, AND HANDED ME OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. I BELIEVE THAT THROUGH THE FAMILIARITY OF MY USUAL CLRNC TO 11000 FT AND MY PLANS TO CLB TO A GOOD TAILWIND ALT, I HAD DEVELOPED A MINDSET OF CLBING TO 11000 FT WHICH OVERSHADOWED MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT. TO ASSURE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN I HAVE ADOPTED 2 METHODS OF ENGRAVING THE ASSIGNED ALT IN MY MEMORY -- I WRITE IT DOWN AND DIAL IT INTO MY ADF DISPLAY.

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.