Narrative:

I was acting as aircraft commander and mission commander as 'lead' for a flight of 2 military KC130 aircraft. I was PNF. IFR flight plan, under positive control. Flight was being conducted on IFR flight plan, in VMC, standard formation. During en route climb along airways, aircraft encountered WX and was unable to maintain VMC, and therefore, unable to maintain standard formation. A climb, turn or IFR separation to nonstandard formation was requested. However, due to volume of traffic and required coordination with ZNY, harrisburg approach was unable to expeditiously accommodate my requests. Harrisburg approach advised the flight of 2 that they were attempting to coordinate. As time progressed, we requested a turn and climb to 14000 ft MSL to avoid a thunderstorm in the flight path. Still unable to accommodate, the flight had to turn, making a l-hand turn for 30 degree heading change in an attempt to avoid the thunderstorm and maintain VMC. During maneuver, harrisburg approach advised the flight to expect higher in 11 mi. Unfortunately, pilot at controls thought we had received clearance to climb higher than 8000 ft, and made excursion through 8000 ft to an altitude of 8700 ft. PNF advised PF of error, and immediate correction to assigned altitude was made. Second aircraft in flight 'lost' sight of the lead aircraft upon entering clouds, but never made altitude excursion above assigned 8000 ft MSL. Corrective vectors received by harrisburg approach, noting our heading change and advising us of moving into ZNY airspace. Approximately 40 seconds into event, second aircraft regained sight of lead aircraft in VMC, flight regained integrity. Remaining in standard formation for the remainder of the flight. Harrisburg approach did an excellent job of handling separation, even though there was a substantial amount of aircraft on IFR flight plans requiring deviations for WX. The high volume of 'transition' traffic through the area, coupled with the WX situation added to our deteriorating situation. Throughout the event, harrisburg approach remained calm and professional, effecting expeditious handling, advisories, and separation. Once the altitude excursion and heading deviation were corrected, the flight proceeded normally to filed destination. Supplemental information from acn 471814: we requested a climb to 14000 ft and a left turn. The climb was approved from 5000 ft to 8000 ft. We also started a turn to the left, but a left deviation was denied by ATC. In the confusion, I inadvertently overshot the 8000 ft altitude clearance by 800 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MIL FORMATION FLT OF 2 C130'S ENCOUNTER TSTM ACTIVITY OVER LRP, PA. DURING AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS THE LEAD ACFT OVERSHOOTS THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT WHILE AWAITING FURTHER CLRNC FROM ZNY, NY.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS ACFT COMMANDER AND MISSION COMMANDER AS 'LEAD' FOR A FLT OF 2 MIL KC130 ACFT. I WAS PNF. IFR FLT PLAN, UNDER POSITIVE CTL. FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON IFR FLT PLAN, IN VMC, STANDARD FORMATION. DURING ENRTE CLB ALONG AIRWAYS, ACFT ENCOUNTERED WX AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VMC, AND THEREFORE, UNABLE TO MAINTAIN STANDARD FORMATION. A CLB, TURN OR IFR SEPARATION TO NONSTANDARD FORMATION WAS REQUESTED. HOWEVER, DUE TO VOLUME OF TFC AND REQUIRED COORD WITH ZNY, HARRISBURG APCH WAS UNABLE TO EXPEDITIOUSLY ACCOMMODATE MY REQUESTS. HARRISBURG APCH ADVISED THE FLT OF 2 THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO COORDINATE. AS TIME PROGRESSED, WE REQUESTED A TURN AND CLB TO 14000 FT MSL TO AVOID A TSTM IN THE FLT PATH. STILL UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE, THE FLT HAD TO TURN, MAKING A L-HAND TURN FOR 30 DEG HDG CHANGE IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE TSTM AND MAINTAIN VMC. DURING MANEUVER, HARRISBURG APCH ADVISED THE FLT TO EXPECT HIGHER IN 11 MI. UNFORTUNATELY, PLT AT CTLS THOUGHT WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB HIGHER THAN 8000 FT, AND MADE EXCURSION THROUGH 8000 FT TO AN ALT OF 8700 FT. PNF ADVISED PF OF ERROR, AND IMMEDIATE CORRECTION TO ASSIGNED ALT WAS MADE. SECOND ACFT IN FLT 'LOST' SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT UPON ENTERING CLOUDS, BUT NEVER MADE ALT EXCURSION ABOVE ASSIGNED 8000 FT MSL. CORRECTIVE VECTORS RECEIVED BY HARRISBURG APCH, NOTING OUR HDG CHANGE AND ADVISING US OF MOVING INTO ZNY AIRSPACE. APPROX 40 SECONDS INTO EVENT, SECOND ACFT REGAINED SIGHT OF LEAD ACFT IN VMC, FLT REGAINED INTEGRITY. REMAINING IN STANDARD FORMATION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. HARRISBURG APCH DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF HANDLING SEPARATION, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ACFT ON IFR FLT PLANS REQUIRING DEVS FOR WX. THE HIGH VOLUME OF 'TRANSITION' TFC THROUGH THE AREA, COUPLED WITH THE WX SIT ADDED TO OUR DETERIORATING SIT. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, HARRISBURG APCH REMAINED CALM AND PROFESSIONAL, EFFECTING EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING, ADVISORIES, AND SEPARATION. ONCE THE ALT EXCURSION AND HDG DEV WERE CORRECTED, THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO FILED DEST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 471814: WE REQUESTED A CLB TO 14000 FT AND A L TURN. THE CLB WAS APPROVED FROM 5000 FT TO 8000 FT. WE ALSO STARTED A TURN TO THE L, BUT A L DEV WAS DENIED BY ATC. IN THE CONFUSION, I INADVERTENTLY OVERSHOT THE 8000 FT ALT CLRNC BY 800 FT.

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.