A LJ35 captain climbed above assigned altitude anticipating a higher altitude from ATC.

Attributes
ACN	522960
Time
Date	200108
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : uao.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Learjet 36
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	522960
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On radar-vectored climb out from uao to en route portion, we were assigned 9000 ft on heading 090 degrees. Our traffic was moving right to left at 10000 ft. Once we cleared traffic, we were given direct to destination, but no higher altitude. I was at the controls, still in the climb to 9000 ft. After we were well clear of our traffic, wrongly continued the climb past 9000 ft. My copilot called me on it, and we descended back to 9000 ft. No apparent conflict. We exceeded assigned altitude by 500 ft. ATC did not question us or note our altitude bust. We were then cleared to a higher altitude. This event was a result of my expectations of receiving a higher altitude clearance at that time coupled with the feeling of security brought by being in VMC. I had 10+ mi visibility and had recently cleared my traffic and was expecting higher clearance, so my scan in the climb broke down as regards my altitude. A real wake-up call. It brought home the need to keep vigilant both inside the cockpit as well as outside.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LJ35 CAPT CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT ANTICIPATING A HIGHER ALT FROM ATC.

Narrative: ON RADAR-VECTORED CLBOUT FROM UAO TO ENRTE PORTION, WE WERE ASSIGNED 9000 FT ON HDG 090 DEGS. OUR TFC WAS MOVING R TO L AT 10000 FT. ONCE WE CLRED TFC, WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO DEST, BUT NO HIGHER ALT. I WAS AT THE CTLS, STILL IN THE CLB TO 9000 FT. AFTER WE WERE WELL CLR OF OUR TFC, WRONGLY CONTINUED THE CLB PAST 9000 FT. MY COPLT CALLED ME ON IT, AND WE DSNDED BACK TO 9000 FT. NO APPARENT CONFLICT. WE EXCEEDED ASSIGNED ALT BY 500 FT. ATC DID NOT QUESTION US OR NOTE OUR ALT BUST. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT. THIS EVENT WAS A RESULT OF MY EXPECTATIONS OF RECEIVING A HIGHER ALT CLRNC AT THAT TIME COUPLED WITH THE FEELING OF SECURITY BROUGHT BY BEING IN VMC. I HAD 10+ MI VISIBILITY AND HAD RECENTLY CLRED MY TFC AND WAS EXPECTING HIGHER CLRNC, SO MY SCAN IN THE CLB BROKE DOWN AS REGARDS MY ALT. A REAL WAKE-UP CALL. IT BROUGHT HOME THE NEED TO KEEP VIGILANT BOTH INSIDE THE COCKPIT AS WELL AS OUTSIDE.

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.