Narrative:

While climbing through 12000 ft, the flight attendant called on the cabin interphone. I told the captain that I was going to answer the phone. He responded that he would now cover communication #1 and also fly (he was the PF). Before talking to the flight attendant, we had been cleared to FL190. When I returned and told him that I now had communication #1, he responded with 'no changes.' as we kept climbing, I noticed that FL230 had been set in the altitude preselect window. I knew that I did not respond to an ATC clearance, but I did not say anything. As we leveled off at FL230, ZOA told us that we had been only cleared to FL210. Center then told us to maintain FL230. The captain then stated that he thought that center cleared us to FL230. There are quite a few contributing factors that led us to this situation. One of them would be that only 1 pilot was listening to the radios while we were cleared to a higher altitude. Another being when I reported back on the frequency, the captain said 'no changes.' when I realized that something had indeed changed, I did not question the captain. The reason that I did not question the captain is because I knew something had changed but I was not sure of what. As we climbed through FL200, I realized that the altitude had changed, but did not say anything because of a fear of questioning the captain. He tends to get mad when you question his authority/authorized too much. Then I figured that the captain was capable of responding to a clearance and setting in the correct altitude. I guess I was wrong. Also, poor CRM between the captain and I was a contributing factor. Next time, I will just speak up and if he gets mad, then he gets mad. The only problem with that is that my airline pairs crews together for a whole month. I have previously flown with this captain before, and I questioned him before and he treated me like dirt for a whole month. But now that he has treated me like dirt for 2 months now, I don't care. I will just speak up and if he does not like it, then I will just go talk to my chief pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT INTERRUPTED COCKPIT ACTIVITY AND INHIBITS FO'S HEARING NEW ALT ASSIGNMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CAPT, WHICH IS OVERSHOT.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ON THE CABIN INTERPHONE. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS GOING TO ANSWER THE PHONE. HE RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD NOW COVER COM #1 AND ALSO FLY (HE WAS THE PF). BEFORE TALKING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT, WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL190. WHEN I RETURNED AND TOLD HIM THAT I NOW HAD COM #1, HE RESPONDED WITH 'NO CHANGES.' AS WE KEPT CLBING, I NOTICED THAT FL230 HAD BEEN SET IN THE ALT PRESELECT WINDOW. I KNEW THAT I DID NOT RESPOND TO AN ATC CLRNC, BUT I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. AS WE LEVELED OFF AT FL230, ZOA TOLD US THAT WE HAD BEEN ONLY CLRED TO FL210. CTR THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL230. THE CAPT THEN STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT CTR CLRED US TO FL230. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT LED US TO THIS SIT. ONE OF THEM WOULD BE THAT ONLY 1 PLT WAS LISTENING TO THE RADIOS WHILE WE WERE CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT. ANOTHER BEING WHEN I RPTED BACK ON THE FREQ, THE CAPT SAID 'NO CHANGES.' WHEN I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING HAD INDEED CHANGED, I DID NOT QUESTION THE CAPT. THE REASON THAT I DID NOT QUESTION THE CAPT IS BECAUSE I KNEW SOMETHING HAD CHANGED BUT I WAS NOT SURE OF WHAT. AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL200, I REALIZED THAT THE ALT HAD CHANGED, BUT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE OF A FEAR OF QUESTIONING THE CAPT. HE TENDS TO GET MAD WHEN YOU QUESTION HIS AUTH TOO MUCH. THEN I FIGURED THAT THE CAPT WAS CAPABLE OF RESPONDING TO A CLRNC AND SETTING IN THE CORRECT ALT. I GUESS I WAS WRONG. ALSO, POOR CRM BTWN THE CAPT AND I WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. NEXT TIME, I WILL JUST SPEAK UP AND IF HE GETS MAD, THEN HE GETS MAD. THE ONLY PROB WITH THAT IS THAT MY AIRLINE PAIRS CREWS TOGETHER FOR A WHOLE MONTH. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY FLOWN WITH THIS CAPT BEFORE, AND I QUESTIONED HIM BEFORE AND HE TREATED ME LIKE DIRT FOR A WHOLE MONTH. BUT NOW THAT HE HAS TREATED ME LIKE DIRT FOR 2 MONTHS NOW, I DON'T CARE. I WILL JUST SPEAK UP AND IF HE DOES NOT LIKE IT, THEN I WILL JUST GO TALK TO MY CHIEF PLT.

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.