Narrative:

Took off from green bay. I was PNF instructed to call departure. Had been delayed about 2 hours on the ground due to flow control to ord. As I was performing the climb checklist, I paused in the middle of it to talk to departure. The controller responded by blurting out all in one breath, 'air carrier X radar contact climb and maintain 10000 ft expect direct janesville in '?' mins.' I mentally lost the altitude. I asked 'confirm one three thousand for air carrier X?' (at least I thought this was what I asked.) as I finished the checklist, I dialed 13000 ft into the altitude select window. The controller replied 'affirmative.' I pointed to the window and stated 'thirteen set' and the captain acknowledged. I still had doubt in my mind and asked the captain 'he did say thirteen, right?' the captain replied in the affirmative. The captain had also been engaging in non pertinent conversation during the climb. Between the checklist, the controller's rapid fire delivery and the conversation, I just could not retain the correct altitude in my mind. As we climbed through 12500 ft, the controller said 'air carrier X, say altitude.' I stated 'one two thousand five hundred.' he replied 'you were assigned ten thousand.' we acknowledged and we returned to 10000 ft. Nothing more was said and shortly thereafter we were handed off to ZAU. There was several factors involved: 1) the controller's pace of speech. He spoke faster than even the ord controllers. At a low-medium density airport, this seems unnecessary. There is a female controller at xna (razorback) who is also bad about this. 2) my own fatigue. I got only about 3 hours sleep the night before, and got up early that day to commute from dfw to ord. 3) I had had nothing to eat but pretzels all day. I have experience teaching CRM and human factors and I should have known better than to get so little sleep, and not eat all day. Also I should have politely got the captain to be quiet and back me up by paying attention to the radios along with me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTRACTIONS AND NON COMPLIANCE WITH STERILE COCKPIT PROCS RESULT IN AN ALT OVERSHOOT AT 10000 FT.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM GREEN BAY. I WAS PNF INSTRUCTED TO CALL DEP. HAD BEEN DELAYED ABOUT 2 HRS ON THE GND DUE TO FLOW CTL TO ORD. AS I WAS PERFORMING THE CLB CHKLIST, I PAUSED IN THE MIDDLE OF IT TO TALK TO DEP. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY BLURTING OUT ALL IN ONE BREATH, 'ACR X RADAR CONTACT CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT EXPECT DIRECT JANESVILLE IN '?' MINS.' I MENTALLY LOST THE ALT. I ASKED 'CONFIRM ONE THREE THOUSAND FOR ACR X?' (AT LEAST I THOUGHT THIS WAS WHAT I ASKED.) AS I FINISHED THE CHKLIST, I DIALED 13000 FT INTO THE ALT SELECT WINDOW. THE CTLR REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' I POINTED TO THE WINDOW AND STATED 'THIRTEEN SET' AND THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED. I STILL HAD DOUBT IN MY MIND AND ASKED THE CAPT 'HE DID SAY THIRTEEN, RIGHT?' THE CAPT REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE CAPT HAD ALSO BEEN ENGAGING IN NON PERTINENT CONVERSATION DURING THE CLB. BTWN THE CHKLIST, THE CTLR'S RAPID FIRE DELIVERY AND THE CONVERSATION, I JUST COULD NOT RETAIN THE CORRECT ALT IN MY MIND. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 12500 FT, THE CTLR SAID 'ACR X, SAY ALT.' I STATED 'ONE TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.' HE REPLIED 'YOU WERE ASSIGNED TEN THOUSAND.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE RETURNED TO 10000 FT. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZAU. THERE WAS SEVERAL FACTORS INVOLVED: 1) THE CTLR'S PACE OF SPEECH. HE SPOKE FASTER THAN EVEN THE ORD CTLRS. AT A LOW-MEDIUM DENSITY ARPT, THIS SEEMS UNNECESSARY. THERE IS A FEMALE CTLR AT XNA (RAZORBACK) WHO IS ALSO BAD ABOUT THIS. 2) MY OWN FATIGUE. I GOT ONLY ABOUT 3 HRS SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND GOT UP EARLY THAT DAY TO COMMUTE FROM DFW TO ORD. 3) I HAD HAD NOTHING TO EAT BUT PRETZELS ALL DAY. I HAVE EXPERIENCE TEACHING CRM AND HUMAN FACTORS AND I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO GET SO LITTLE SLEEP, AND NOT EAT ALL DAY. ALSO I SHOULD HAVE POLITELY GOT THE CAPT TO BE QUIET AND BACK ME UP BY PAYING ATTN TO THE RADIOS ALONG WITH ME.

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.