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B737-300 crew climbed above the cleared altitude in ZHU class a airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 561950 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : lch.vortac |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 34500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors departure other enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 561950 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 7900 |
| ASRS Report | 561863 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During climb to FL370 (first officer flying), we became concerned about deviating for an area of storms ahead. I queried ATC and was given clearance off the SID, direct to sji, with amended altitude of FL330. I failed to reset the altitude to FL330, and did not elicit a confirmation from the first officer. He stated that he did not hear the amended altitude clearance, which is why he wouldn't repeat it. I believe we were both focusing on the new route clearance, entering it into the FMC, and checking for spacing from the storms. Passing FL340, ATC queried us about our altitude clearance. I was off the radio at the time and the first officer replied that we were climbing to FL370. Center stopped our climb and sent us back to FL330, and turned us for traffic. The other aircraft was turned as well. The WX was a distraction, but no excuse for missing an altitude. Greater attention to altitude procedures was needed, as well as better listening. Perhaps repeating the word 'amended' would better alert our attention to the change. Supplemental information from acn 561863: during climb out from hou to bwi, we were cleared from FL230 to FL370. We were also cleared to deviate around some WX just ahead of us. Captain requested direct montgomery VOR to help us get around some thunderstorm in the area. At that time, ATC denied our request, but gave us direct sji VORTAC. I programmed the FMC and turned direct to semmes. I guess ATC gave us an amended altitude of FL330. Captain acknowledged but forgot to reset the altitude box for FL330. As we climbed through FL345, ATC requested us to descend back down to FL330 and make a right turn 30 degrees. I did not hear the amended altitude and thought that we were cleared to FL370. The contributing factors for this deviation were the miscom during climb out, and the workload trying to avoid thunderstorms in the area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 CREW CLBED ABOVE THE CLRED ALT IN ZHU CLASS A AIRSPACE.
Narrative: DURING CLB TO FL370 (FO FLYING), WE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT DEVIATING FOR AN AREA OF STORMS AHEAD. I QUERIED ATC AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC OFF THE SID, DIRECT TO SJI, WITH AMENDED ALT OF FL330. I FAILED TO RESET THE ALT TO FL330, AND DID NOT ELICIT A CONFIRMATION FROM THE FO. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE AMENDED ALT CLRNC, WHICH IS WHY HE WOULDN'T REPEAT IT. I BELIEVE WE WERE BOTH FOCUSING ON THE NEW RTE CLRNC, ENTERING IT INTO THE FMC, AND CHKING FOR SPACING FROM THE STORMS. PASSING FL340, ATC QUERIED US ABOUT OUR ALT CLRNC. I WAS OFF THE RADIO AT THE TIME AND THE FO REPLIED THAT WE WERE CLBING TO FL370. CTR STOPPED OUR CLB AND SENT US BACK TO FL330, AND TURNED US FOR TFC. THE OTHER ACFT WAS TURNED AS WELL. THE WX WAS A DISTR, BUT NO EXCUSE FOR MISSING AN ALT. GREATER ATTN TO ALT PROCS WAS NEEDED, AS WELL AS BETTER LISTENING. PERHAPS REPEATING THE WORD 'AMENDED' WOULD BETTER ALERT OUR ATTN TO THE CHANGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 561863: DURING CLBOUT FROM HOU TO BWI, WE WERE CLRED FROM FL230 TO FL370. WE WERE ALSO CLRED TO DEVIATE AROUND SOME WX JUST AHEAD OF US. CAPT REQUESTED DIRECT MONTGOMERY VOR TO HELP US GET AROUND SOME TSTM IN THE AREA. AT THAT TIME, ATC DENIED OUR REQUEST, BUT GAVE US DIRECT SJI VORTAC. I PROGRAMMED THE FMC AND TURNED DIRECT TO SEMMES. I GUESS ATC GAVE US AN AMENDED ALT OF FL330. CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED BUT FORGOT TO RESET THE ALT BOX FOR FL330. AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL345, ATC REQUESTED US TO DSND BACK DOWN TO FL330 AND MAKE A R TURN 30 DEGS. I DID NOT HEAR THE AMENDED ALT AND THOUGHT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL370. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THIS DEV WERE THE MISCOM DURING CLBOUT, AND THE WORKLOAD TRYING TO AVOID TSTMS IN THE AREA.
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.