Narrative:

Lvm 246 degrees/18 NM to intercept bzn 110 degrees and fly inbound at 16000 ft. Heard gulfstream 2 check on frequency coming out of bzn at 16000 ft coming our way. ATC told him to descend immediately to 15000 ft. He was by then on our TCASII showing '00' relative altitude. Our TCASII told us to 'descend' and I started to comply, but then realized center had just told the G2 to descend. TCASII then said to 'climb now' so I did about 300 ft as the G2 was descending. Center said we crossed with 100 ft vertical separation. Center said the G2 was only cleared to 15000 ft. I'm wondering why TCASII said initially to descend. Maybe it thought the G2 was still climbing or saw he was level and had to pick climb or descend and picked descend. Radar is very poor in the bzn area and this I feel contributed to the problem. Supplemental information from acn 354057: other aircraft a G2 (non TCASII) we were level at 16000 ft wbound on V-86 to bzn when we heard the G2 check on at 16000 ft. Center verified the altitude and told him his clearance was 15000 ft and descend immediately. As this was happening we observed TCASII target (yellow) at '00' relative altitude. Shortly after turned red with TCASII RA to descend. We hesitated on the descent as he was cleared/told to descend. As we started to descend TCASII reversed to a climb RA. We climbed approximately 300 ft when 'clear of conflict.' supplemental information from acn 353817: I was starting the engines and preparing the aircraft for departure. According to ATC (ZLC) he received the ATC clearance which was something like cleared as filed maintain 15000 ft (cannot remember the rest). He read back the clearance correctly, according to the tape that was replayed by salt lake. He replied back saying 15000 ft, but he set 16000 ft in the altitude preselect. After departing bozeman he called salt lake reporting we were off bozeman (runway 12) out of 6000 ft? For 16000 ft. From the time we received the clearance to the time we called ATC after departure salt lake changed controllers in that sector. When we called out of 6000 ft for 16000 ft ATC did not correct the readback that he made climbing to 16000 ft instead of 15000 ft. We were leveling off at 16000 ft actually at 15800 ft when salt lake called and asked to verify our altitude. We reported leveling at 16000 ft. ATC told us to descend immediately to 15000 ft. The tape according to salt lake showed us descending from 15800 ft to 15200 ft in 10 seconds. We told that we responded promptly due to the urgency in his voice. As soon as we reached 15000 ft we saw the air carrier MD80 above and in front of us passing from left to right. The air carrier pilot reported in that he had climbed to 16300 ft to avoid us. My guess would be a TCASII warning. (The WX was broken as we were in the clouds during the climb out but entered a more clear environment when we saw the air carrier MD80.) then ATC called us back and reported that we should of been at 15000 ft not 16000 ft. We were confused and thought for sure the ATC made a mistake because we looked at the copied clearance and it said 16000 ft. He then said that there was a possible pilot deviation and we should call them on the ground at our destination. My co-captain called when we got on the ground and talked to them about the incident. They explained the situation to him about what had happened and that we were at fault but that they also were at fault because of the improper setting of the altitude preselect caused from miscopying the clearance and also when we reported leaving 6000 ft for 16000 ft ATC did not correct us to stop at 15000 ft. I did not personally talk to ZLC, so I'm telling you this the best of my knowledge, and by what my co-captain talked about with ATC. He told me that he takes full responsibility. Supplemental information from acn 354054: I was in the right seat obtaining the clearance as we taxied, when I received an interruption from the jump seat passenger, who was not aware that I was otherwise engaged, because I was using my headset and did not have the cockpit speaker turned on. Since the clearance was rather short, I read it back, then answered the question I had been asked before I wrote down the clearance. When I did write down the clearance, I inexplicably wrote down 16000 ft. By trying toperform the taxi checklist, obtain the clearance, and answer extraneous questions, I tried to do too many things at once, and allowed the sterile cockpit atmosphere to degrade. I believe that the onset of chronic fatigue, combined with unfamiliar crew coordination and an unfamiliar aircraft, contributed to a procedural error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A G2 CLBING OFF BZN TO 15000 FT OVERSHOT ALT DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING BY FLC. ARTCC RADAR CTLR CAUGHT THE OVERSHOOT AND TOLD THE G2 TO DSND FOR TFC, AN ACR DC9 AT 16000 FT. DC9 RECEIVED A TCASII RA AND RESPONDED TO THE RA. THE G2 SAW THE DC9, BUT THE DC9 DIDN'T GET A VISUAL ON THE G2. FLC ATC REVIEW WAS HELD WITH THE G2 FLC.

Narrative: LVM 246 DEGS/18 NM TO INTERCEPT BZN 110 DEGS AND FLY INBOUND AT 16000 FT. HEARD GULFSTREAM 2 CHK ON FREQ COMING OUT OF BZN AT 16000 FT COMING OUR WAY. ATC TOLD HIM TO DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 15000 FT. HE WAS BY THEN ON OUR TCASII SHOWING '00' RELATIVE ALT. OUR TCASII TOLD US TO 'DSND' AND I STARTED TO COMPLY, BUT THEN REALIZED CTR HAD JUST TOLD THE G2 TO DSND. TCASII THEN SAID TO 'CLB NOW' SO I DID ABOUT 300 FT AS THE G2 WAS DSNDING. CTR SAID WE CROSSED WITH 100 FT VERT SEPARATION. CTR SAID THE G2 WAS ONLY CLRED TO 15000 FT. I'M WONDERING WHY TCASII SAID INITIALLY TO DSND. MAYBE IT THOUGHT THE G2 WAS STILL CLBING OR SAW HE WAS LEVEL AND HAD TO PICK CLB OR DSND AND PICKED DSND. RADAR IS VERY POOR IN THE BZN AREA AND THIS I FEEL CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 354057: OTHER ACFT A G2 (NON TCASII) WE WERE LEVEL AT 16000 FT WBOUND ON V-86 TO BZN WHEN WE HEARD THE G2 CHK ON AT 16000 FT. CTR VERIFIED THE ALT AND TOLD HIM HIS CLRNC WAS 15000 FT AND DSND IMMEDIATELY. AS THIS WAS HAPPENING WE OBSERVED TCASII TARGET (YELLOW) AT '00' RELATIVE ALT. SHORTLY AFTER TURNED RED WITH TCASII RA TO DSND. WE HESITATED ON THE DSCNT AS HE WAS CLRED/TOLD TO DSND. AS WE STARTED TO DSND TCASII REVERSED TO A CLB RA. WE CLBED APPROX 300 FT WHEN 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 353817: I WAS STARTING THE ENGS AND PREPARING THE ACFT FOR DEP. ACCORDING TO ATC (ZLC) HE RECEIVED THE ATC CLRNC WHICH WAS SOMETHING LIKE CLRED AS FILED MAINTAIN 15000 FT (CANNOT REMEMBER THE REST). HE READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY, ACCORDING TO THE TAPE THAT WAS REPLAYED BY SALT LAKE. HE REPLIED BACK SAYING 15000 FT, BUT HE SET 16000 FT IN THE ALT PRESELECT. AFTER DEPARTING BOZEMAN HE CALLED SALT LAKE RPTING WE WERE OFF BOZEMAN (RWY 12) OUT OF 6000 FT? FOR 16000 FT. FROM THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC TO THE TIME WE CALLED ATC AFTER DEP SALT LAKE CHANGED CTLRS IN THAT SECTOR. WHEN WE CALLED OUT OF 6000 FT FOR 16000 FT ATC DID NOT CORRECT THE READBACK THAT HE MADE CLBING TO 16000 FT INSTEAD OF 15000 FT. WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT 16000 FT ACTUALLY AT 15800 FT WHEN SALT LAKE CALLED AND ASKED TO VERIFY OUR ALT. WE RPTED LEVELING AT 16000 FT. ATC TOLD US TO DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 15000 FT. THE TAPE ACCORDING TO SALT LAKE SHOWED US DSNDING FROM 15800 FT TO 15200 FT IN 10 SECONDS. WE TOLD THAT WE RESPONDED PROMPTLY DUE TO THE URGENCY IN HIS VOICE. AS SOON AS WE REACHED 15000 FT WE SAW THE ACR MD80 ABOVE AND IN FRONT OF US PASSING FROM L TO R. THE ACR PLT RPTED IN THAT HE HAD CLBED TO 16300 FT TO AVOID US. MY GUESS WOULD BE A TCASII WARNING. (THE WX WAS BROKEN AS WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS DURING THE CLBOUT BUT ENTERED A MORE CLR ENVIRONMENT WHEN WE SAW THE ACR MD80.) THEN ATC CALLED US BACK AND RPTED THAT WE SHOULD OF BEEN AT 15000 FT NOT 16000 FT. WE WERE CONFUSED AND THOUGHT FOR SURE THE ATC MADE A MISTAKE BECAUSE WE LOOKED AT THE COPIED CLRNC AND IT SAID 16000 FT. HE THEN SAID THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE PLTDEV AND WE SHOULD CALL THEM ON THE GND AT OUR DEST. MY CO-CAPT CALLED WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THEY EXPLAINED THE SIT TO HIM ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT WE WERE AT FAULT BUT THAT THEY ALSO WERE AT FAULT BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPER SETTING OF THE ALT PRESELECT CAUSED FROM MISCOPYING THE CLRNC AND ALSO WHEN WE RPTED LEAVING 6000 FT FOR 16000 FT ATC DID NOT CORRECT US TO STOP AT 15000 FT. I DID NOT PERSONALLY TALK TO ZLC, SO I'M TELLING YOU THIS THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, AND BY WHAT MY CO-CAPT TALKED ABOUT WITH ATC. HE TOLD ME THAT HE TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 354054: I WAS IN THE R SEAT OBTAINING THE CLRNC AS WE TAXIED, WHEN I RECEIVED AN INTERRUPTION FROM THE JUMP SEAT PAX, WHO WAS NOT AWARE THAT I WAS OTHERWISE ENGAGED, BECAUSE I WAS USING MY HEADSET AND DID NOT HAVE THE COCKPIT SPEAKER TURNED ON. SINCE THE CLRNC WAS RATHER SHORT, I READ IT BACK, THEN ANSWERED THE QUESTION I HAD BEEN ASKED BEFORE I WROTE DOWN THE CLRNC. WHEN I DID WRITE DOWN THE CLRNC, I INEXPLICABLY WROTE DOWN 16000 FT. BY TRYING TOPERFORM THE TAXI CHKLIST, OBTAIN THE CLRNC, AND ANSWER EXTRANEOUS QUESTIONS, I TRIED TO DO TOO MANY THINGS AT ONCE, AND ALLOWED THE STERILE COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE TO DEGRADE. I BELIEVE THAT THE ONSET OF CHRONIC FATIGUE, COMBINED WITH UNFAMILIAR CREW COORD AND AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT, CONTRIBUTED TO A PROCEDURAL ERROR.

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.