Narrative:

Flight was filed at FL280 from stl to msp. Captain flying. During climb on autoplt, we were cleared by ZAU to climb to FL280 and head 330 degrees for iow VOR. I selected the heading of 330 degrees and the first officer set FL280 in the altitude alert. As I was verifying the altitude and heading selections, a flight attendant called on the interphone. I reached down for the interphone and am not sure I checked the altitude setting. We changed radio frequencys and the controller once again gave us a heading of 330 degrees. As we were approaching FL280, the flight attendant said she had our meals. The first officer had to stand and unbolt the door. At about FL285, the controller asked if we were going to maintain FL280. I looked at FL330 set in the altitude alert and advised/replied that we were cleared to FL330. He told us to level at FL310. When I looked at our filed altitude of FL280, the fact that we were flying northwest and that the assigned heading was 330 degrees, it seems very unlikely that we were assigned that altitude. On the MD80 the method for selecting the heading and setting the altitude are similar and in the same general area of the glare shield. This increases the need to avoid distrs and verify settings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW OVERSHOT ASSIGNED CRUISE ALT, WHEN THE WRONG ALT WAS ENTERED IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW.

Narrative: FLT WAS FILED AT FL280 FROM STL TO MSP. CAPT FLYING. DURING CLB ON AUTOPLT, WE WERE CLRED BY ZAU TO CLB TO FL280 AND HEAD 330 DEGS FOR IOW VOR. I SELECTED THE HDG OF 330 DEGS AND THE FO SET FL280 IN THE ALT ALERT. AS I WAS VERIFYING THE ALT AND HDG SELECTIONS, A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE. I REACHED DOWN FOR THE INTERPHONE AND AM NOT SURE I CHKED THE ALT SETTING. WE CHANGED RADIO FREQS AND THE CTLR ONCE AGAIN GAVE US A HDG OF 330 DEGS. AS WE WERE APCHING FL280, THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE HAD OUR MEALS. THE FO HAD TO STAND AND UNBOLT THE DOOR. AT ABOUT FL285, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN FL280. I LOOKED AT FL330 SET IN THE ALT ALERT AND ADVISED/REPLIED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL330. HE TOLD US TO LEVEL AT FL310. WHEN I LOOKED AT OUR FILED ALT OF FL280, THE FACT THAT WE WERE FLYING NW AND THAT THE ASSIGNED HDG WAS 330 DEGS, IT SEEMS VERY UNLIKELY THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED THAT ALT. ON THE MD80 THE METHOD FOR SELECTING THE HDG AND SETTING THE ALT ARE SIMILAR AND IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA OF THE GLARE SHIELD. THIS INCREASES THE NEED TO AVOID DISTRS AND VERIFY SETTINGS.

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.