A C525 citation PIC climbs above his assigned altitude of 8000 ft when his copilot, his 'boss' reads...

Attributes
ACN	460920
Time
Date	200001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ttn.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	460920
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer oversight : supervisor
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While departing trenton, nj, and working with phl departure, I was on vectors and on several step climbs. The controller had me on several different vectors 210 degrees, 230 degrees, 180 degrees, and 190 degrees. The controller then told me to climb to 8000 ft, fly heading 190 degrees. I climbed to 9000 ft and gave a heading of 190 degrees. My copilot had called 9000 ft back to phl and FL190. My copilot then asked if the altitude indeed was 9000 ft. No response. Several seconds later, we were told we were at the wrong altitude. We offered to go back to previously assigned altitude of 8000 ft. We were told not to and that everything was all right. We asked if there would be any problems. We were told no. Upon landing, uneventfully at my destination, I called phl and was told there was no problem. I fly the citation single pilot over 90% of the time. On this flight, however, I had my boss as a copilot. I feel that since I normally fly this aircraft as a single pilot I had a breakdown in communications with my boss. My boss handled the radios on this flight. When my boss is the copilot I feel I cannot lead the way in the flight deck. I don't have the same control in the cockpit with my boss that I do when someone else is the copilot. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that his boss likes to criticize the pilots when they make a mistake or are simply following certain procedures. The flight was being flown south when the destination was north. The boss was unhappy with the PIC who was maintaining an airspeed of 250 KTS sbound. The boss said he would never fly in the 'wrong direction' at that speed, he would use 210 KTS as the maximum. Reporter can't seem to relax with his own planning and decisions. He was advised on various methods in how to establish the command position in the cockpit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C525 CITATION PIC CLBS ABOVE HIS ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT WHEN HIS COPLT, HIS 'BOSS' READS BACK 9000 FT INSTEAD. PIC SAYS HE IS INTIMIDATED WHEN FLYING WITH HIS SUPVR. FLT ALLOWED TO STAY AT 9000 FT FROM DEP CTLR AT PHL, PA.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING TRENTON, NJ, AND WORKING WITH PHL DEP, I WAS ON VECTORS AND ON SEVERAL STEP CLBS. THE CTLR HAD ME ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT VECTORS 210 DEGS, 230 DEGS, 180 DEGS, AND 190 DEGS. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME TO CLB TO 8000 FT, FLY HDG 190 DEGS. I CLBED TO 9000 FT AND GAVE A HDG OF 190 DEGS. MY COPLT HAD CALLED 9000 FT BACK TO PHL AND FL190. MY COPLT THEN ASKED IF THE ALT INDEED WAS 9000 FT. NO RESPONSE. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE AT THE WRONG ALT. WE OFFERED TO GO BACK TO PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT. WE WERE TOLD NOT TO AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT. WE ASKED IF THERE WOULD BE ANY PROBS. WE WERE TOLD NO. UPON LNDG, UNEVENTFULLY AT MY DEST, I CALLED PHL AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROB. I FLY THE CITATION SINGLE PLT OVER 90% OF THE TIME. ON THIS FLT, HOWEVER, I HAD MY BOSS AS A COPLT. I FEEL THAT SINCE I NORMALLY FLY THIS ACFT AS A SINGLE PLT I HAD A BREAKDOWN IN COMS WITH MY BOSS. MY BOSS HANDLED THE RADIOS ON THIS FLT. WHEN MY BOSS IS THE COPLT I FEEL I CANNOT LEAD THE WAY IN THE FLT DECK. I DON'T HAVE THE SAME CTL IN THE COCKPIT WITH MY BOSS THAT I DO WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS THE COPLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HIS BOSS LIKES TO CRITICIZE THE PLTS WHEN THEY MAKE A MISTAKE OR ARE SIMPLY FOLLOWING CERTAIN PROCS. THE FLT WAS BEING FLOWN S WHEN THE DEST WAS N. THE BOSS WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE PIC WHO WAS MAINTAINING AN AIRSPD OF 250 KTS SBOUND. THE BOSS SAID HE WOULD NEVER FLY IN THE 'WRONG DIRECTION' AT THAT SPD, HE WOULD USE 210 KTS AS THE MAX. RPTR CAN'T SEEM TO RELAX WITH HIS OWN PLANNING AND DECISIONS. HE WAS ADVISED ON VARIOUS METHODS IN HOW TO ESTABLISH THE COMMAND POS IN THE COCKPIT.

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.

A C525 citation PIC climbs above his assigned altitude of 8000 ft when his copilot, his 'boss' reads back 9000 ft instead. PIC says he is intimidated when flying with his supervisor. Flight allowed to stay at 9000 ft from departure controller at phl, PA.