Narrative:

Our unit procedures state 'when the autoplt is engaged, the PF will set the altitude alerter and call out the new altitude to the entire crew.' the clearance from ZLA was 'turn right heading 220 degrees, when able proceed direct oceanside, climb and maintain FL180, traffic in your 10 O'clock, FL190.' I read back the clearance and started searching for the traffic. At this point, our tanker called saying they were having problems and further coordination was required. I said over the interphone our new altitude but didn't receive a confirming response from the PF. The altitude alerter was still set to 17000 ft, our last assigned. I don't remember hearing what the alerter was now set to, but I didn't set it. I now answered the tanker's call. Passing FL180, I heard the PF state 'transition level, 29.92 set, pilot.' at that time I looked down and saw FL230 set in the altitude alerter and we were passing FL183. I asked when or who cleared us to FL230. I received a blank stare from the PF. I tried to speak to the controller but VHF was jammed. I asked again over intercom and said leveloff. The PF attempted to use the pitch controller on the autoplt which isn't very responsive. By this time, the controller stated our cleared altitude was FL180 and we were high. At this point I took control of the aircraft and pushed over aggressively to return to FL180. My altimeter read FL188 as its highest. Approximately 1 second later we were at FL180. The controller stated that we had traffic at FL190, that's why we were assigned FL180. Approximately 15 mins later, another controller gave us the phone number to the ZLA supervisor. Supplemental information from acn 423271: up to this point, as the PF in the left seat, I was monitoring ATC on VHF #2 radio and the PNF (instructor PIC) was conducting ATC communications. I also monitored UHF guard plus march command post on UHF #2 radio, and air refueling primary frequency on UHF #1 radio, both at a low volume setting. Pilots in the jump seat and navigator seat were communicating with command post on UHF #2 as necessary. During this period, we received an ATC clearance from ZLA which included a higher altitude and a traffic call, which I only partially heard. Immediately following, the PNF and pilot in the jump seat and navigator seat were discussing the air refueling control time and UHF radio problem, while VHF ATC frequency was still congested. The altitude alerter was still set at 17000 ft. I knew we had received a further climb clearance, which I thought was FL230, and set FL230 in the altitude alerter, while stating '230 set.' since I had not heard the entire ATC radio call, I tried to confirm our clearance with the PNF and jump seat pilot, but they did not hear me. I then announced transition altitude passing FL180, which they did hear. Contributing factors: high traffic density requiring step climb clrncs and congested ATC radio frequencys. Air refueling mission requires cockpit crew to maintain contact with command and control facility. Normal air refueling procedure is for PF to conduct air refueling frequency communications. Jump seat pilot and navigator seat pilot were monitoring and communicating on command post frequency, distracting them from ATC frequency. PF was on ride #1 of air refueling requalification. Syllabus requires student to manage air refueling rendezvous. Corrective action: recommend procedure for PF to conduct ATC communications any time other communications are necessary -- the PNF will conduct necessary communications other than ATC. Recommend procedure for both pilots to immediately verify new assigned altitude is set in the altitude alerter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A MIL C141C OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING CLB DUE TO WORKLOAD AND TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR REFUELING TRAINING MISSION.

Narrative: OUR UNIT PROCS STATE 'WHEN THE AUTOPLT IS ENGAGED, THE PF WILL SET THE ALT ALERTER AND CALL OUT THE NEW ALT TO THE ENTIRE CREW.' THE CLRNC FROM ZLA WAS 'TURN R HDG 220 DEGS, WHEN ABLE PROCEED DIRECT OCEANSIDE, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL180, TFC IN YOUR 10 O'CLOCK, FL190.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND STARTED SEARCHING FOR THE TFC. AT THIS POINT, OUR TANKER CALLED SAYING THEY WERE HAVING PROBS AND FURTHER COORD WAS REQUIRED. I SAID OVER THE INTERPHONE OUR NEW ALT BUT DIDN'T RECEIVE A CONFIRMING RESPONSE FROM THE PF. THE ALT ALERTER WAS STILL SET TO 17000 FT, OUR LAST ASSIGNED. I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING WHAT THE ALERTER WAS NOW SET TO, BUT I DIDN'T SET IT. I NOW ANSWERED THE TANKER'S CALL. PASSING FL180, I HEARD THE PF STATE 'TRANSITION LEVEL, 29.92 SET, PLT.' AT THAT TIME I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW FL230 SET IN THE ALT ALERTER AND WE WERE PASSING FL183. I ASKED WHEN OR WHO CLRED US TO FL230. I RECEIVED A BLANK STARE FROM THE PF. I TRIED TO SPEAK TO THE CTLR BUT VHF WAS JAMMED. I ASKED AGAIN OVER INTERCOM AND SAID LEVELOFF. THE PF ATTEMPTED TO USE THE PITCH CTLR ON THE AUTOPLT WHICH ISN'T VERY RESPONSIVE. BY THIS TIME, THE CTLR STATED OUR CLRED ALT WAS FL180 AND WE WERE HIGH. AT THIS POINT I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND PUSHED OVER AGGRESSIVELY TO RETURN TO FL180. MY ALTIMETER READ FL188 AS ITS HIGHEST. APPROX 1 SECOND LATER WE WERE AT FL180. THE CTLR STATED THAT WE HAD TFC AT FL190, THAT'S WHY WE WERE ASSIGNED FL180. APPROX 15 MINS LATER, ANOTHER CTLR GAVE US THE PHONE NUMBER TO THE ZLA SUPVR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 423271: UP TO THIS POINT, AS THE PF IN THE L SEAT, I WAS MONITORING ATC ON VHF #2 RADIO AND THE PNF (INSTRUCTOR PIC) WAS CONDUCTING ATC COMS. I ALSO MONITORED UHF GUARD PLUS MARCH COMMAND POST ON UHF #2 RADIO, AND AIR REFUELING PRIMARY FREQ ON UHF #1 RADIO, BOTH AT A LOW VOLUME SETTING. PLTS IN THE JUMP SEAT AND NAVIGATOR SEAT WERE COMMUNICATING WITH COMMAND POST ON UHF #2 AS NECESSARY. DURING THIS PERIOD, WE RECEIVED AN ATC CLRNC FROM ZLA WHICH INCLUDED A HIGHER ALT AND A TFC CALL, WHICH I ONLY PARTIALLY HEARD. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THE PNF AND PLT IN THE JUMP SEAT AND NAVIGATOR SEAT WERE DISCUSSING THE AIR REFUELING CTL TIME AND UHF RADIO PROB, WHILE VHF ATC FREQ WAS STILL CONGESTED. THE ALT ALERTER WAS STILL SET AT 17000 FT. I KNEW WE HAD RECEIVED A FURTHER CLB CLRNC, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS FL230, AND SET FL230 IN THE ALT ALERTER, WHILE STATING '230 SET.' SINCE I HAD NOT HEARD THE ENTIRE ATC RADIO CALL, I TRIED TO CONFIRM OUR CLRNC WITH THE PNF AND JUMP SEAT PLT, BUT THEY DID NOT HEAR ME. I THEN ANNOUNCED TRANSITION ALT PASSING FL180, WHICH THEY DID HEAR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HIGH TFC DENSITY REQUIRING STEP CLB CLRNCS AND CONGESTED ATC RADIO FREQS. AIR REFUELING MISSION REQUIRES COCKPIT CREW TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH COMMAND AND CTL FACILITY. NORMAL AIR REFUELING PROC IS FOR PF TO CONDUCT AIR REFUELING FREQ COMS. JUMP SEAT PLT AND NAVIGATOR SEAT PLT WERE MONITORING AND COMMUNICATING ON COMMAND POST FREQ, DISTRACTING THEM FROM ATC FREQ. PF WAS ON RIDE #1 OF AIR REFUELING REQUALIFICATION. SYLLABUS REQUIRES STUDENT TO MANAGE AIR REFUELING RENDEZVOUS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: RECOMMEND PROC FOR PF TO CONDUCT ATC COMS ANY TIME OTHER COMS ARE NECESSARY -- THE PNF WILL CONDUCT NECESSARY COMS OTHER THAN ATC. RECOMMEND PROC FOR BOTH PLTS TO IMMEDIATELY VERIFY NEW ASSIGNED ALT IS SET IN THE ALT ALERTER.

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.