Narrative:

This was the last leg of a part 91 cpr trip. I used to fly regularly with this company but had not been flying in this aircraft with this captain for 2 months prior to this trip. We had had 2 malfunctions on the aircraft this day. On a previous leg, the #1 radio had failed. This was the one that has the FLIP-flop (standby) function. We had to use our standby #2 communication radio for transmitting. Then, we had a thrust reverser stick open (fail to stow) after landing. Fortunately, a maintenance facility was able to fix the reverser and swap our malfunctioning radio so that we could use the FLIP-flop feature on #2. After a 2 hour delay, we finally headed home. I was flying and using the autoplt. It was getting dark and we were eating dinner that we picked up during our delay. I had flight planned for FL270. We were level at FL250. Center gave a call to climb to FL290. Although radio and altitude preselect were the PNF duties, he was eating and so I acknowledged and set the altitude and started the climb. I did think FL290 was odd since I filed for FL270 but the captain said no problem so we accepted it. As we climbed through FL277, center queried our altitude. We said FL277 to which he asked what we were assigned. We said FL290 and there was a pause, after which he said something like 'roger.' my thought was immediately that perhaps I heard FL270 and acknowledged it, but dialed in FL290. I don't think that is the case since I remember thinking it was odd that they assigned it when we had planned for FL270. In any event, if we had not been distracted by fatigue, radio problems, eating, lack of clear delineation of 'who is doing what' in the cockpit, then we would both have known if we had been assigned something other than FL290. I feel confident we were right, and the controller never queried us about it again, but there is the nagging uncertainty that causes me to write this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MU300 FLC IS CONFUSED WHEN ATC QUERIES THEM ABOUT THE ALT ASSIGNMENT AND THEIR PRESENT ALT. ZJX, FL.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A PART 91 CPR TRIP. I USED TO FLY REGULARLY WITH THIS COMPANY BUT HAD NOT BEEN FLYING IN THIS ACFT WITH THIS CAPT FOR 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS TRIP. WE HAD HAD 2 MALFUNCTIONS ON THE ACFT THIS DAY. ON A PREVIOUS LEG, THE #1 RADIO HAD FAILED. THIS WAS THE ONE THAT HAS THE FLIP-FLOP (STANDBY) FUNCTION. WE HAD TO USE OUR STANDBY #2 COM RADIO FOR XMITTING. THEN, WE HAD A THRUST REVERSER STICK OPEN (FAIL TO STOW) AFTER LNDG. FORTUNATELY, A MAINT FACILITY WAS ABLE TO FIX THE REVERSER AND SWAP OUR MALFUNCTIONING RADIO SO THAT WE COULD USE THE FLIP-FLOP FEATURE ON #2. AFTER A 2 HR DELAY, WE FINALLY HEADED HOME. I WAS FLYING AND USING THE AUTOPLT. IT WAS GETTING DARK AND WE WERE EATING DINNER THAT WE PICKED UP DURING OUR DELAY. I HAD FLT PLANNED FOR FL270. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL250. CTR GAVE A CALL TO CLB TO FL290. ALTHOUGH RADIO AND ALT PRESELECT WERE THE PNF DUTIES, HE WAS EATING AND SO I ACKNOWLEDGED AND SET THE ALT AND STARTED THE CLB. I DID THINK FL290 WAS ODD SINCE I FILED FOR FL270 BUT THE CAPT SAID NO PROB SO WE ACCEPTED IT. AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL277, CTR QUERIED OUR ALT. WE SAID FL277 TO WHICH HE ASKED WHAT WE WERE ASSIGNED. WE SAID FL290 AND THERE WAS A PAUSE, AFTER WHICH HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'ROGER.' MY THOUGHT WAS IMMEDIATELY THAT PERHAPS I HEARD FL270 AND ACKNOWLEDGED IT, BUT DIALED IN FL290. I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE CASE SINCE I REMEMBER THINKING IT WAS ODD THAT THEY ASSIGNED IT WHEN WE HAD PLANNED FOR FL270. IN ANY EVENT, IF WE HAD NOT BEEN DISTRACTED BY FATIGUE, RADIO PROBS, EATING, LACK OF CLR DELINEATION OF 'WHO IS DOING WHAT' IN THE COCKPIT, THEN WE WOULD BOTH HAVE KNOWN IF WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED SOMETHING OTHER THAN FL290. I FEEL CONFIDENT WE WERE RIGHT, AND THE CTLR NEVER QUERIED US ABOUT IT AGAIN, BUT THERE IS THE NAGGING UNCERTAINTY THAT CAUSES ME TO WRITE THIS RPT.

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.