Narrative:

Initial departure clearance, runway heading to 5000 ft. Departed cid and after checking in with departure control, was issued a heading and climb clearance to 10000 ft. The aircraft was light and it was cold, so we were climbing very well, in excess of 3000 FPM. I had flown in and out of cid the months previous. It was common to be handed off to ZAU prior to 10000 ft and they would issue a further climb clearance without us having to level at 10000 ft. We were handed off to center prior to 9000 ft MSL but we were unable to check I immediately since they were talking to someone else. Passing 9000 ft, we were still climbing in excess of 2000 FPM, but I didn't start to shallow my climb in anticipation of a further climb clearance. Passing 9500 ft MSL, we still hadn't been able to check in on frequency, so I started to level off, trying not to push over too abruptly so as not to alarm the passenger as well as not to affect the flight attendants if they happened to be up. The pushover along with our climb performance resulted in exceeding 10000 ft by 300 ft (10300 ft MSL leveloff). We checked in with center at about the same time and he responded with the clearance I had expected, a continued climb to FL230. My company fom recommends cutting climb/descent rate to 500-1500 FPM when within 1000 ft of leveloff. I intend to make this my standard practice, regardless of what I anticipate a clearance might be. Unrestr climbs/dscnts are nice and are usually the norm into and out of smaller stations, but occasionally frequency congestion or traffic prevents what may be 'common' or 'standard.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737-500 OVERSHOT INTERMEDIATE CLB ALT DUE TO ANTICIPATING BEING ASSIGNED A HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: INITIAL DEP CLRNC, RWY HDG TO 5000 FT. DEPARTED CID AND AFTER CHKING IN WITH DEP CTL, WAS ISSUED A HDG AND CLB CLRNC TO 10000 FT. THE ACFT WAS LIGHT AND IT WAS COLD, SO WE WERE CLBING VERY WELL, IN EXCESS OF 3000 FPM. I HAD FLOWN IN AND OUT OF CID THE MONTHS PREVIOUS. IT WAS COMMON TO BE HANDED OFF TO ZAU PRIOR TO 10000 FT AND THEY WOULD ISSUE A FURTHER CLB CLRNC WITHOUT US HAVING TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO CTR PRIOR TO 9000 FT MSL BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO CHK I IMMEDIATELY SINCE THEY WERE TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE. PASSING 9000 FT, WE WERE STILL CLBING IN EXCESS OF 2000 FPM, BUT I DIDN'T START TO SHALLOW MY CLB IN ANTICIPATION OF A FURTHER CLB CLRNC. PASSING 9500 FT MSL, WE STILL HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO CHK IN ON FREQ, SO I STARTED TO LEVEL OFF, TRYING NOT TO PUSH OVER TOO ABRUPTLY SO AS NOT TO ALARM THE PAX AS WELL AS NOT TO AFFECT THE FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY HAPPENED TO BE UP. THE PUSHOVER ALONG WITH OUR CLB PERFORMANCE RESULTED IN EXCEEDING 10000 FT BY 300 FT (10300 FT MSL LEVELOFF). WE CHKED IN WITH CTR AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND HE RESPONDED WITH THE CLRNC I HAD EXPECTED, A CONTINUED CLB TO FL230. MY COMPANY FOM RECOMMENDS CUTTING CLB/DSCNT RATE TO 500-1500 FPM WHEN WITHIN 1000 FT OF LEVELOFF. I INTEND TO MAKE THIS MY STANDARD PRACTICE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT I ANTICIPATE A CLRNC MIGHT BE. UNRESTR CLBS/DSCNTS ARE NICE AND ARE USUALLY THE NORM INTO AND OUT OF SMALLER STATIONS, BUT OCCASIONALLY FREQ CONGESTION OR TFC PREVENTS WHAT MAY BE 'COMMON' OR 'STANDARD.'

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.