Narrative:

ASRS description of a 400 ft altitude clearance deviation by my aircraft at about (AD00 mdt) on aug/xx/97, departing rock springs, wy airport climbing on V6 through 10400 ft. I had filed an IFR flight plan from rks to pvu (rock springs, wy, to provo, ut) with requested routing as rks (airport) direct fbr (VOR) direct slc (VOR) direct pvu at 10000 ft. I programmed that routing into my IFR certified LORAN C and requested clearance at the departure end of runway 27. As best I recall, I was cleared to pvu as filed via V6, climb maintain 10000 ft, and contact center when airborne. After departure, I contacted center who noted radar contact. As I reviewed my clearance, I noted that my route was to be V6 instead of direct. The LORAN route segment endpoints I had programmed were defined by the rock springs airport and the fbr VOR, not the ocs VOR and fbr VOR that define V6. I had a stabilized climb by now of around 500 FPM and was passing through about 8500 ft MSL. So I set about changing the LORAN programming. About the time I finished, center called me and cleared me to 12000 ft for terrain. I glanced at my altimeter passing 10400 ft and replied 'cessna xx out of one zero thousand five hundred for one two thousand.' I immediately realized I had overshot my climb and was about to push it back down when the controller asked me what I was doing up at 10500 ft and if I had just overshot my climb. I replied 'affirmative' and continued my climb up to 12000 ft. Nothing more was said about the matter. The problem occurred because: 1) I received a routing clearance that was 'as filed,' but with a proviso that it was via V6. 2) I didn't immediately recognize that the clearance was not as I had programmed the LORAN. 3) I was trying to change my LORAN programming during a portion of the flight that I should have been paying more attention to my basic instruments. 4) afternoon updrafts considerably increased my rate of climb beyond the 500 FPM I had noted when I first turned my attention to the LORAN. To prevent this problem from reoccurring, I intend to study my clearance more closely and ensure that my navigation equipment is fully and correctly programmed before departure. If I need to do reprogramming in-flight, I will attempt to delay it to a less attention-demanding portion of the flight. If that's not possible, I will remember that flying the airplane is still the most important item, with navigation and communication coming on an 'as-time-permits' basis.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 CLBS TO ALT DEPARTING FROM RKS, WY, WHEN HE OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT JUST AS ZLC, UT, CTLR GIVES HIM ANOTHER ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ASRS DESCRIPTION OF A 400 FT ALT CLRNC DEV BY MY ACFT AT ABOUT (AD00 MDT) ON AUG/XX/97, DEPARTING ROCK SPRINGS, WY ARPT CLBING ON V6 THROUGH 10400 FT. I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM RKS TO PVU (ROCK SPRINGS, WY, TO PROVO, UT) WITH REQUESTED ROUTING AS RKS (ARPT) DIRECT FBR (VOR) DIRECT SLC (VOR) DIRECT PVU AT 10000 FT. I PROGRAMMED THAT ROUTING INTO MY IFR CERTIFIED LORAN C AND REQUESTED CLRNC AT THE DEP END OF RWY 27. AS BEST I RECALL, I WAS CLRED TO PVU AS FILED VIA V6, CLB MAINTAIN 10000 FT, AND CONTACT CTR WHEN AIRBORNE. AFTER DEP, I CONTACTED CTR WHO NOTED RADAR CONTACT. AS I REVIEWED MY CLRNC, I NOTED THAT MY RTE WAS TO BE V6 INSTEAD OF DIRECT. THE LORAN RTE SEGMENT ENDPOINTS I HAD PROGRAMMED WERE DEFINED BY THE ROCK SPRINGS ARPT AND THE FBR VOR, NOT THE OCS VOR AND FBR VOR THAT DEFINE V6. I HAD A STABILIZED CLB BY NOW OF AROUND 500 FPM AND WAS PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 8500 FT MSL. SO I SET ABOUT CHANGING THE LORAN PROGRAMMING. ABOUT THE TIME I FINISHED, CTR CALLED ME AND CLRED ME TO 12000 FT FOR TERRAIN. I GLANCED AT MY ALTIMETER PASSING 10400 FT AND REPLIED 'CESSNA XX OUT OF ONE ZERO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FOR ONE TWO THOUSAND.' I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED I HAD OVERSHOT MY CLB AND WAS ABOUT TO PUSH IT BACK DOWN WHEN THE CTLR ASKED ME WHAT I WAS DOING UP AT 10500 FT AND IF I HAD JUST OVERSHOT MY CLB. I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND CONTINUED MY CLB UP TO 12000 FT. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID ABOUT THE MATTER. THE PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE: 1) I RECEIVED A ROUTING CLRNC THAT WAS 'AS FILED,' BUT WITH A PROVISO THAT IT WAS VIA V6. 2) I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZE THAT THE CLRNC WAS NOT AS I HAD PROGRAMMED THE LORAN. 3) I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE MY LORAN PROGRAMMING DURING A PORTION OF THE FLT THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO MY BASIC INSTS. 4) AFTERNOON UPDRAFTS CONSIDERABLY INCREASED MY RATE OF CLB BEYOND THE 500 FPM I HAD NOTED WHEN I FIRST TURNED MY ATTN TO THE LORAN. TO PREVENT THIS PROB FROM REOCCURRING, I INTEND TO STUDY MY CLRNC MORE CLOSELY AND ENSURE THAT MY NAV EQUIP IS FULLY AND CORRECTLY PROGRAMMED BEFORE DEP. IF I NEED TO DO REPROGRAMMING INFLT, I WILL ATTEMPT TO DELAY IT TO A LESS ATTN-DEMANDING PORTION OF THE FLT. IF THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE, I WILL REMEMBER THAT FLYING THE AIRPLANE IS STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM, WITH NAV AND COM COMING ON AN 'AS-TIME-PERMITS' BASIS.

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.