Narrative:

This was technically a bad flight for me overall. 3 issues occurred. 1) climbing out of morgantown airport (mgw) approximately XA30 (near dusk), I became distracted talking to copilot when clarksburg departure called my altitude at 8500 ft when I was cleared to 8000 ft. I immediately descended to 8000 ft. 2) 30 mins later, near luray caverns, again while talking to copilot, I became confused and keyed the microphone during several sentences to copilot. ATC then made an announcement that conversation was coming over the frequency and that was enough to make me aware of what I was doing. 3) another transmission from ATC to me stated that they had tried to contact me earlier with no response. I was unaware of it, but was probably distracted by conversation with copilot. All of these errors (X3) during this flight seemed to be related to conversation with copilot (#2 was for sure). This was unfortunate, since he is also an instrument rated pilot, ie, we should know better. A contributing factor may have been fatigue (end of a long day), dusk and night flight (rare for me) and altitude (relative hypoxia). Probably more significant was the fact that I had not flown very much recently. So distraction, fatigue, night flight, hypoxia and relative recent inexperience all contributed to the errors on this flight. Future flts will stress more attention to the radios and the aircraft and environment. Especially important will be to limit conversation during takeoff, climb, descent and landing. More attention to every detail of the flight profile at all times will also help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV AND COM TECHNIQUE PROBS RPTED BY PLT WHO ADMITS LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.

Narrative: THIS WAS TECHNICALLY A BAD FLT FOR ME OVERALL. 3 ISSUES OCCURRED. 1) CLBING OUT OF MORGANTOWN ARPT (MGW) APPROX XA30 (NEAR DUSK), I BECAME DISTRACTED TALKING TO COPLT WHEN CLARKSBURG DEP CALLED MY ALT AT 8500 FT WHEN I WAS CLRED TO 8000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO 8000 FT. 2) 30 MINS LATER, NEAR LURAY CAVERNS, AGAIN WHILE TALKING TO COPLT, I BECAME CONFUSED AND KEYED THE MIKE DURING SEVERAL SENTENCES TO COPLT. ATC THEN MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CONVERSATION WAS COMING OVER THE FREQ AND THAT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME AWARE OF WHAT I WAS DOING. 3) ANOTHER XMISSION FROM ATC TO ME STATED THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO CONTACT ME EARLIER WITH NO RESPONSE. I WAS UNAWARE OF IT, BUT WAS PROBABLY DISTRACTED BY CONVERSATION WITH COPLT. ALL OF THESE ERRORS (X3) DURING THIS FLT SEEMED TO BE RELATED TO CONVERSATION WITH COPLT (#2 WAS FOR SURE). THIS WAS UNFORTUNATE, SINCE HE IS ALSO AN INST RATED PLT, IE, WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN FATIGUE (END OF A LONG DAY), DUSK AND NIGHT FLT (RARE FOR ME) AND ALT (RELATIVE HYPOXIA). PROBABLY MORE SIGNIFICANT WAS THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN VERY MUCH RECENTLY. SO DISTR, FATIGUE, NIGHT FLT, HYPOXIA AND RELATIVE RECENT INEXPERIENCE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERRORS ON THIS FLT. FUTURE FLTS WILL STRESS MORE ATTN TO THE RADIOS AND THE ACFT AND ENVIRONMENT. ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WILL BE TO LIMIT CONVERSATION DURING TKOF, CLB, DSCNT AND LNDG. MORE ATTN TO EVERY DETAIL OF THE FLT PROFILE AT ALL TIMES WILL ALSO HELP.

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.