Narrative:

On jun/mon/03, I had departed peoria regional airport, (pia) at approximately XA40 local time. Departing runway was runway 13, WX conditions were around 500 ft overcast with 4 mi visibility. The instrument clearance that I had accepted was 'cleared direct davenport, ia (dvn), climb and maintain 3000 ft, expect 4000 ft, 10 mins after departure, departure frequency will be 125.8.' shortly after departing runway 13 the tower had instructed me to contact departure, maintain runway heading, 3000 ft, and to pass back a base and top report through departure control. At this time I made radio contact with peoria departure. They advised me that I was in radar contact, and instructed me to make a left turn to a 330 degree heading, direct dvn when able, and to climb to 4000 ft. I consequently continued my climb and began a left turn to 330 degrees and began to center the obs for the davenport VOR. At this time I was approaching the assigned altitude of 4000 ft and continued to climb. At this point peoria approach control has asked me to say current altitude, I advised him that I was at 4700 ft. At this time I realized that I was 700 ft above my assigned altitude and began a descent to 4000 ft. Upon reaching 4000 ft I advised the controller that I was then level at 4000 ft. I then continued the flight as planned to dvn and the flight terminated in a normal manner. As you can see by the above listed chain of events, human factors are only to blame for this situation. First off, I hadn't slept well the day before I began my duty period of almost 14 hours, and this was my last leg. Secondly, after being instructed to pass back a base and top report to the controller, I had really expected to be on top at 4000 ft. So, since the cloud tops were above 4000 ft, I never broke out as expected, thus not giving me the hint that I was expecting to tell me that I was approaching my assigned altitude. Lastly, I hadn't set up my navigation radios to navigation to my destination because the departing field was IFR at the time of departure and I had the ILS to runway 13 set up in case of a need to return to the field. Consequently my attention was divided between many different aspects of the flight. This situation has essentially waken me up to some factors that contribute to safety in my current job. I have been flying this scheduled run for 3 months now and a sense of complacency has evolved in the manner in which I operate the aircraft. I believe that I need to pay closer attention to the finer details and operate the aircraft as if I was on the run for the first time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 DEPARTING PIA CLBS ABOVE ATC ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ON JUN/MON/03, I HAD DEPARTED PEORIA REGIONAL ARPT, (PIA) AT APPROX XA40 LCL TIME. DEPARTING RWY WAS RWY 13, WX CONDITIONS WERE AROUND 500 FT OVCST WITH 4 MI VISIBILITY. THE INST CLRNC THAT I HAD ACCEPTED WAS 'CLRED DIRECT DAVENPORT, IA (DVN), CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT, EXPECT 4000 FT, 10 MINS AFTER DEP, DEP FREQ WILL BE 125.8.' SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING RWY 13 THE TWR HAD INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT DEP, MAINTAIN RWY HEADING, 3000 FT, AND TO PASS BACK A BASE AND TOP RPT THROUGH DEP CTL. AT THIS TIME I MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH PEORIA DEP. THEY ADVISED ME THAT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT, AND INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE A L TURN TO A 330 DEG HDG, DIRECT DVN WHEN ABLE, AND TO CLB TO 4000 FT. I CONSEQUENTLY CONTINUED MY CLB AND BEGAN A L TURN TO 330 DEGS AND BEGAN TO CTR THE OBS FOR THE DAVENPORT VOR. AT THIS TIME I WAS APCHING THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT AND CONTINUED TO CLB. AT THIS POINT PEORIA APCH CTL HAS ASKED ME TO SAY CURRENT ALT, I ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS AT 4700 FT. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT I WAS 700 FT ABOVE MY ASSIGNED ALT AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO 4000 FT. UPON REACHING 4000 FT I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WAS THEN LEVEL AT 4000 FT. I THEN CONTINUED THE FLT AS PLANNED TO DVN AND THE FLT TERMINATED IN A NORMAL MANNER. AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE ABOVE LISTED CHAIN OF EVENTS, HUMAN FACTORS ARE ONLY TO BLAME FOR THIS SIT. FIRST OFF, I HADN'T SLEPT WELL THE DAY BEFORE I BEGAN MY DUTY PERIOD OF ALMOST 14 HRS, AND THIS WAS MY LAST LEG. SECONDLY, AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED TO PASS BACK A BASE AND TOP RPT TO THE CTLR, I HAD REALLY EXPECTED TO BE ON TOP AT 4000 FT. SO, SINCE THE CLOUD TOPS WERE ABOVE 4000 FT, I NEVER BROKE OUT AS EXPECTED, THUS NOT GIVING ME THE HINT THAT I WAS EXPECTING TO TELL ME THAT I WAS APCHING MY ASSIGNED ALT. LASTLY, I HADN'T SET UP MY NAV RADIOS TO NAV TO MY DEST BECAUSE THE DEPARTING FIELD WAS IFR AT THE TIME OF DEP AND I HAD THE ILS TO RWY 13 SET UP IN CASE OF A NEED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. CONSEQUENTLY MY ATTN WAS DIVIDED BTWN MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE FLT. THIS SIT HAS ESSENTIALLY WAKEN ME UP TO SOME FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SAFETY IN MY CURRENT JOB. I HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS SCHEDULED RUN FOR 3 MONTHS NOW AND A SENSE OF COMPLACENCY HAS EVOLVED IN THE MANNER IN WHICH I OPERATE THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT I NEED TO PAY CLOSER ATTN TO THE FINER DETAILS AND OPERATE THE ACFT AS IF I WAS ON THE RUN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

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.