A flight crew using fans climbs prematurely to a higher altitude.

Attributes
ACN	426722
Time
Date	199901
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2650
ASRS Report	426722
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was 1 of 2 relief pilots on a flight los angeles to auckland. Mid flight the main crew was relieved of their flight deck duties as normal. The aircraft was level at FL350 having reached the altitude shortly before crew change. Primary ATC communication was cpdlc with nadi. In reviewing the ATC log, we noticed that the climb clearance from FL330 to FL350 was based on climbing at a specific time. The main crew overlooked the time at which to climb and instead climbed to FL350 upon receiving the contingent clearance, some 12 mins early. After being queried by nadi, we reconfirmed we were level at FL350 and continued the flight. Fatigue was the primary factor in the main crew missing the time at which to climb. Also cpdlc communications would be much safer with less chance of misinterp if contingent clrncs were not used.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC USING FANS CLBS PREMATURELY TO A HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: I WAS 1 OF 2 RELIEF PLTS ON A FLT LOS ANGELES TO AUCKLAND. MID FLT THE MAIN CREW WAS RELIEVED OF THEIR FLT DECK DUTIES AS NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS LEVEL AT FL350 HAVING REACHED THE ALT SHORTLY BEFORE CREW CHANGE. PRIMARY ATC COM WAS CPDLC WITH NADI. IN REVIEWING THE ATC LOG, WE NOTICED THAT THE CLB CLRNC FROM FL330 TO FL350 WAS BASED ON CLBING AT A SPECIFIC TIME. THE MAIN CREW OVERLOOKED THE TIME AT WHICH TO CLB AND INSTEAD CLBED TO FL350 UPON RECEIVING THE CONTINGENT CLRNC, SOME 12 MINS EARLY. AFTER BEING QUERIED BY NADI, WE RECONFIRMED WE WERE LEVEL AT FL350 AND CONTINUED THE FLT. FATIGUE WAS THE PRIMARY FACTOR IN THE MAIN CREW MISSING THE TIME AT WHICH TO CLB. ALSO CPDLC COMS WOULD BE MUCH SAFER WITH LESS CHANCE OF MISINTERP IF CONTINGENT CLRNCS WERE NOT USED.

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.