Narrative:

At approximately 12000 ft and 5 mins into flight, a climb clearance to an understood altitude of FL220 was issued. Next transmission to us was to point out 2 targets to the west of us at higher altitude, one of the targets, 'a slow climbing rj', was at approximately FL200. A TA was heard. One of the targets we had out-climbed, and the other, which the TCASII was alerting us to, was 1500 ft above us, and at least 15 mi horizontal. An adjusted vertical speed command was given by the TCASII passing though FL210 ft. I immediately leveled the airplane off of FL213. Approximately 8 seconds later, a descend RA was issued. A descent was initiated to approximately FL210, at which point we were told by ATC, sounding confused and unsure, to descend back down to FL200. A phone number was issued by ZID, which we were told to call immediately. We later found out from the ATC tape, that our climb clearance was to FL200, not FL220, and that the first officer had read back FL200 to ATC. Unfortunately, the first officer had dialed FL220 in the altitude window, and I didn't catch the mistake. Fatigue was a factor. We had a 12 hour duty day the day before, had only 10 hours off in between, and had flown over 10 hours in the past 24 hours. Fortunately, the TCASII helped avoid a near miss. Unfortunately, ATC was not much help in avoiding this incident, since we were through our assigned altitude for more than a min before ATC realized the critical situation. Supplemental information from acn 577564: on climb out of columbus, ohio, we were given an altitude at which to level off. I understood it to be FL220. I set FL220 in the altitude alerter. I believe I read back the instructions from the controller as 'FL220.' ATC controller told us to descend to FL200. When we reached FL200, the controller stated that our assigned altitude was FL200. We replied that we understood our assigned altitude to be FL220. He did not agree, and informed us to call ZID, and gave us the phone number.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C560 CREW HAD AN ALT OVERSHOT IN ZID CLASS A.

Narrative: AT APPROX 12000 FT AND 5 MINS INTO FLT, A CLB CLRNC TO AN UNDERSTOOD ALT OF FL220 WAS ISSUED. NEXT XMISSION TO US WAS TO POINT OUT 2 TARGETS TO THE W OF US AT HIGHER ALT, ONE OF THE TARGETS, 'A SLOW CLBING RJ', WAS AT APPROX FL200. A TA WAS HEARD. ONE OF THE TARGETS WE HAD OUT-CLIMBED, AND THE OTHER, WHICH THE TCASII WAS ALERTING US TO, WAS 1500 FT ABOVE US, AND AT LEAST 15 MI HORIZ. AN ADJUSTED VERT SPD COMMAND WAS GIVEN BY THE TCASII PASSING THOUGH FL210 FT. I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED THE AIRPLANE OFF OF FL213. APPROX 8 SECONDS LATER, A DSND RA WAS ISSUED. A DSCNT WAS INITIATED TO APPROX FL210, AT WHICH POINT WE WERE TOLD BY ATC, SOUNDING CONFUSED AND UNSURE, TO DSND BACK DOWN TO FL200. A PHONE NUMBER WAS ISSUED BY ZID, WHICH WE WERE TOLD TO CALL IMMEDIATELY. WE LATER FOUND OUT FROM THE ATC TAPE, THAT OUR CLB CLRNC WAS TO FL200, NOT FL220, AND THAT THE FO HAD READ BACK FL200 TO ATC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FO HAD DIALED FL220 IN THE ALT WINDOW, AND I DIDN'T CATCH THE MISTAKE. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. WE HAD A 12 HR DUTY DAY THE DAY BEFORE, HAD ONLY 10 HRS OFF IN BTWN, AND HAD FLOWN OVER 10 HRS IN THE PAST 24 HRS. FORTUNATELY, THE TCASII HELPED AVOID A NEAR MISS. UNFORTUNATELY, ATC WAS NOT MUCH HELP IN AVOIDING THIS INCIDENT, SINCE WE WERE THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT FOR MORE THAN A MIN BEFORE ATC REALIZED THE CRITICAL SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 577564: ON CLB OUT OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, WE WERE GIVEN AN ALT AT WHICH TO LEVEL OFF. I UNDERSTOOD IT TO BE FL220. I SET FL220 IN THE ALT ALERTER. I BELIEVE I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CTLR AS 'FL220.' ATC CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO FL200. WHEN WE REACHED FL200, THE CTLR STATED THAT OUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS FL200. WE REPLIED THAT WE UNDERSTOOD OUR ASSIGNED ALT TO BE FL220. HE DID NOT AGREE, AND INFORMED US TO CALL ZID, AND GAVE US THE PHONE NUMBER.

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.