Narrative:

I was on the reno 2 departure out of rno airport tracking the localizer sbound (164 degrees). I was given air carrier MD90 traffic at 12 O'clock heading northbound. I told ATC I had the traffic. I was then given a 120 degree vector and a climb to 11000 ft (I filed for 15000 ft). I was currently around 8000 ft. They told me that the air carrier flight would maintain altitude above me. After completing turn to 120 degree heading, I realized I had been looking at the wrong traffic previously, but now was looking at the intended traffic. I was also keeping an eye out at the surrounding terrain (I was just crossing a mountain ridge). The next thing I realized simultaneously as ATC called for an altitude verification was that I had climbed through 11000 ft and was currently at 12200 ft. I immediately descended back down to 11000 ft. At no time was I in close proximity to the air carrier flight. (Also later verified to me by ATC.) one important thing I must say that might be a contributing factor that caused this deviation is the high climb rates I had experienced on climb out. (A windshear warning was given to me upon takeoff clearance.) my climb rate intermittently rose to as much as 3000 FPM. My normal rate is 850-950 FPM, depending on my load. (I heard other aircraft that evening were experiencing high rates of climb.) another contributing factor might have been the initial misident of traffic. Upon sighting the correct traffic I really was giving it a good look as to confirm and verify to myself that it was indeed the correct traffic. The last contributing factor was probably fatigue. I had done 3.5 hours of part 91 flying earlier in the day. Also because I work out of reno and have a permanent residence in arizona I travel home on some wkends back to phx to visit my family. This wkend I had a tiresome visit at home. (I took a red eye flight to phx.) I guess I never really caught up on my sleep, although I felt fine. In the future, besides the most obvious things I can do to prevent this from happening again is be more rested on the days after a wkend, and maybe talk to ATC a little more in traffic sits, ie, asking them to give updates on traffic, etc, so I'm not so preoccupied with it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX PA34 FREIGHTER PLT CLBED ABOVE HIS ASSIGNED ALT WHILE WATCHING ACR MD90 TFC AND TERRAIN DURING A DEP.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE RENO 2 DEP OUT OF RNO ARPT TRACKING THE LOC SBOUND (164 DEGS). I WAS GIVEN ACR MD90 TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK HDG NBOUND. I TOLD ATC I HAD THE TFC. I WAS THEN GIVEN A 120 DEG VECTOR AND A CLB TO 11000 FT (I FILED FOR 15000 FT). I WAS CURRENTLY AROUND 8000 FT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ACR FLT WOULD MAINTAIN ALT ABOVE ME. AFTER COMPLETING TURN TO 120 DEG HDG, I REALIZED I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE WRONG TFC PREVIOUSLY, BUT NOW WAS LOOKING AT THE INTENDED TFC. I WAS ALSO KEEPING AN EYE OUT AT THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN (I WAS JUST XING A MOUNTAIN RIDGE). THE NEXT THING I REALIZED SIMULTANEOUSLY AS ATC CALLED FOR AN ALT VERIFICATION WAS THAT I HAD CLBED THROUGH 11000 FT AND WAS CURRENTLY AT 12200 FT. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 11000 FT. AT NO TIME WAS I IN CLOSE PROX TO THE ACR FLT. (ALSO LATER VERIFIED TO ME BY ATC.) ONE IMPORTANT THING I MUST SAY THAT MIGHT BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT CAUSED THIS DEV IS THE HIGH CLB RATES I HAD EXPERIENCED ON CLBOUT. (A WINDSHEAR WARNING WAS GIVEN TO ME UPON TKOF CLRNC.) MY CLB RATE INTERMITTENTLY ROSE TO AS MUCH AS 3000 FPM. MY NORMAL RATE IS 850-950 FPM, DEPENDING ON MY LOAD. (I HEARD OTHER ACFT THAT EVENING WERE EXPERIENCING HIGH RATES OF CLB.) ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE INITIAL MISIDENT OF TFC. UPON SIGHTING THE CORRECT TFC I REALLY WAS GIVING IT A GOOD LOOK AS TO CONFIRM AND VERIFY TO MYSELF THAT IT WAS INDEED THE CORRECT TFC. THE LAST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS PROBABLY FATIGUE. I HAD DONE 3.5 HRS OF PART 91 FLYING EARLIER IN THE DAY. ALSO BECAUSE I WORK OUT OF RENO AND HAVE A PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN ARIZONA I TRAVEL HOME ON SOME WKENDS BACK TO PHX TO VISIT MY FAMILY. THIS WKEND I HAD A TIRESOME VISIT AT HOME. (I TOOK A RED EYE FLT TO PHX.) I GUESS I NEVER REALLY CAUGHT UP ON MY SLEEP, ALTHOUGH I FELT FINE. IN THE FUTURE, BESIDES THE MOST OBVIOUS THINGS I CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IS BE MORE RESTED ON THE DAYS AFTER A WKEND, AND MAYBE TALK TO ATC A LITTLE MORE IN TFC SITS, IE, ASKING THEM TO GIVE UPDATES ON TFC, ETC, SO I'M NOT SO PREOCCUPIED WITH IT.

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.