A GA commercial rated pilot delays his climb for the cleared to transition altitude through tcm airs...

Attributes
ACN	487610
Time
Date	200010
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tcm.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon tower : tcm.tower tower : mia.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	487610
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Passenger Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I called the tcm tower 9 mi east for permission to transition wbound, north of the airport at 1800 ft MSL. At the time I was at 14000 ft MSL as I was transitioning south of seatac class B airspace and needed to remain below 1600 ft MSL. I was cleared through tcm airspace as requested. After clearing class B airspace I was about to climb to 1800 ft, when my wife (who seldom flies with me) was startled by turbulence encounter and the sun visor on her side coming apart. Her scream startled me and I asked her what happened. I asked if she was ok and she showed me the pieces of the visor that fell to the floor. I put the autoplt on and changed my attention to her to calm her and check out where these pieces came from. As I did this, I continually scanned for traffic and made certain I was going in the proper direction -- I was. After establishing calm in the cockpit, I began a climb to 1800 ft. Just at this time, the tower asked me to make a left 360 degree turn and reminded me of the transition altitude. I complied, and made a turning climb to 1800 ft. The flight continued uneventfully. The controller appeared not to be concerned. There was a plane on the ILS but there was never any conflict, so I had the traffic in sight. This mistake was caused by a distraction in the cockpit causing a late climb to 1800 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA COMMERCIAL RATED PLT DELAYS HIS CLB FOR THE CLRED TO TRANSITION ALT THROUGH TCM AIRSPACE N OF TCM, WA.

Narrative: I CALLED THE TCM TWR 9 MI E FOR PERMISSION TO TRANSITION WBOUND, N OF THE ARPT AT 1800 FT MSL. AT THE TIME I WAS AT 14000 FT MSL AS I WAS TRANSITIONING S OF SEATAC CLASS B AIRSPACE AND NEEDED TO REMAIN BELOW 1600 FT MSL. I WAS CLRED THROUGH TCM AIRSPACE AS REQUESTED. AFTER CLRING CLASS B AIRSPACE I WAS ABOUT TO CLB TO 1800 FT, WHEN MY WIFE (WHO SELDOM FLIES WITH ME) WAS STARTLED BY TURB ENCOUNTER AND THE SUN VISOR ON HER SIDE COMING APART. HER SCREAM STARTLED ME AND I ASKED HER WHAT HAPPENED. I ASKED IF SHE WAS OK AND SHE SHOWED ME THE PIECES OF THE VISOR THAT FELL TO THE FLOOR. I PUT THE AUTOPLT ON AND CHANGED MY ATTN TO HER TO CALM HER AND CHK OUT WHERE THESE PIECES CAME FROM. AS I DID THIS, I CONTINUALLY SCANNED FOR TFC AND MADE CERTAIN I WAS GOING IN THE PROPER DIRECTION -- I WAS. AFTER ESTABLISHING CALM IN THE COCKPIT, I BEGAN A CLB TO 1800 FT. JUST AT THIS TIME, THE TWR ASKED ME TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN AND REMINDED ME OF THE TRANSITION ALT. I COMPLIED, AND MADE A TURNING CLB TO 1800 FT. THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. THE CTLR APPEARED NOT TO BE CONCERNED. THERE WAS A PLANE ON THE ILS BUT THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT, SO I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. THIS MISTAKE WAS CAUSED BY A DISTR IN THE COCKPIT CAUSING A LATE CLB TO 1800 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.

A GA commercial rated pilot delays his climb for the cleared to transition altitude through tcm airspace north of tcm, wa.