Narrative:

On aug/03, air carrier flight departed from atlanta hartsfield at XA50 to buffalo and landed at XA46. For this leg of our trip I was the PF (first officer) and the captain was the PNF. Our clearance was, cleared to buf via ATL5 departure as filed climb to 10000 ft notwo vectors. We departed from runway 26R for a notwo vector. After some radar vectors and altitude assignments we were cleared to join our assigned route. Just prior to vxv (volunteer) we were cleared to 27000 ft. The captain was eating a salad, so I selected 27000 ft. After passing through 26000 ft the controller contacted us and told us that we were only cleared to 25000 ft. The controller then asked us to remain at 26000 ft and turn to the left, approximately 40 degrees. I (the PF) reached for the autoplt controls to make the necessary changes to change the altitude and heading. The captain (PNF) pushed my hands away. I was then accused immediately of making the mistake (what did you do?) and told from the captain 'in 17000 flight hours I have never busted a regulation.' the next chain of events concerns me just as much as the first. The captain became apologetic to the controller. The controller's instructions to other aircraft became confusing at best to the other airliners. My first thought was 'fly the airplane.' ahead we were on a direct path for the heads or tops of 2 thunderstorm 'cumulonimbus clouds.' I was flying the airplane and the captain was in charge of the radios. I looked at the radar and suggested we go to the left of the cloud top. The captain ignored me and never called ATC. I made another suggestion and was ignored again. We were headed directly for the cloud top. Upon entering the second cloud top we encountered moderate to heavy turbulence. If the flight attendants or passenger were standing it could have caused injuries. Just prior to entering the cloud top the captain called the flight attendants to see if they were ok. Again I made suggestions on directions to avoid the cloud top and was ignored. We then entered the second CL0UD top and was not as violent as the first, however still moderate to light turbulence. The captain informed me she would report to the safety committee and our chief pilot. The captain also informed me not to talk to the flight attendants about the incident. This is my opinion. I am 95% positive that I was given a clearance to 27000 ft. I am 95% positive that the controller made the error. The captain was not paying attention and automatically assumed that I had made an error. The captain disregarded the safety of the passenger and flight attendants in an attempt to protect their own aviation license by not upsetting the controller by asking for a deviation around WX. Supplemental information from acn 591549: while climbing to FL270, ZTL informed us we were cleared to FL250. He asked us to level at FL260. We did so then we were asked to make a left turn to 340. We did not get a TCASII alert or warning. A min later we were cleared to FL290 and on course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ700 CREW HAD AN ALT OVERSHOOT, AND THEN FLEW INTO A TSTM TOP, WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. CREW COORD WAS NON EXISTENT WHEN THE CAPT WAS HAVING LUNCH.

Narrative: ON AUG/03, ACR FLT DEPARTED FROM ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AT XA50 TO BUFFALO AND LANDED AT XA46. FOR THIS LEG OF OUR TRIP I WAS THE PF (FO) AND THE CAPT WAS THE PNF. OUR CLRNC WAS, CLRED TO BUF VIA ATL5 DEP AS FILED CLB TO 10000 FT NOTWO VECTORS. WE DEPARTED FROM RWY 26R FOR A NOTWO VECTOR. AFTER SOME RADAR VECTORS AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS WE WERE CLRED TO JOIN OUR ASSIGNED RTE. JUST PRIOR TO VXV (VOLUNTEER) WE WERE CLRED TO 27000 FT. THE CAPT WAS EATING A SALAD, SO I SELECTED 27000 FT. AFTER PASSING THROUGH 26000 FT THE CTLR CONTACTED US AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 25000 FT. THE CTLR THEN ASKED US TO REMAIN AT 26000 FT AND TURN TO THE L, APPROX 40 DEGS. I (THE PF) REACHED FOR THE AUTOPLT CTLS TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO CHANGE THE ALT AND HEADING. THE CAPT (PNF) PUSHED MY HANDS AWAY. I WAS THEN ACCUSED IMMEDIATELY OF MAKING THE MISTAKE (WHAT DID YOU DO?) AND TOLD FROM THE CAPT 'IN 17000 FLT HRS I HAVE NEVER BUSTED A REG.' THE NEXT CHAIN OF EVENTS CONCERNS ME JUST AS MUCH AS THE FIRST. THE CAPT BECAME APOLOGETIC TO THE CTLR. THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT BECAME CONFUSING AT BEST TO THE OTHER AIRLINERS. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS 'FLY THE AIRPLANE.' AHEAD WE WERE ON A DIRECT PATH FOR THE HEADS OR TOPS OF 2 TSTM 'CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS.' I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND THE CAPT WAS IN CHARGE OF THE RADIOS. I LOOKED AT THE RADAR AND SUGGESTED WE GO TO THE L OF THE CLOUD TOP. THE CAPT IGNORED ME AND NEVER CALLED ATC. I MADE ANOTHER SUGGESTION AND WAS IGNORED AGAIN. WE WERE HEADED DIRECTLY FOR THE CLOUD TOP. UPON ENTERING THE SECOND CLOUD TOP WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO HVY TURB. IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS OR PAX WERE STANDING IT COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CLOUD TOP THE CAPT CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF THEY WERE OK. AGAIN I MADE SUGGESTIONS ON DIRECTIONS TO AVOID THE CLOUD TOP AND WAS IGNORED. WE THEN ENTERED THE SECOND CL0UD TOP AND WAS NOT AS VIOLENT AS THE FIRST, HOWEVER STILL MODERATE TO LIGHT TURB. THE CAPT INFORMED ME SHE WOULD RPT TO THE SAFETY COMMITTEE AND OUR CHIEF PLT. THE CAPT ALSO INFORMED ME NOT TO TALK TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THIS IS MY OPINION. I AM 95% POSITIVE THAT I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO 27000 FT. I AM 95% POSITIVE THAT THE CTLR MADE THE ERROR. THE CAPT WAS NOT PAYING ATTN AND AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED THAT I HAD MADE AN ERROR. THE CAPT DISREGARDED THE SAFETY OF THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEIR OWN AVIATION LICENSE BY NOT UPSETTING THE CTLR BY ASKING FOR A DEV AROUND WX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 591549: WHILE CLBING TO FL270, ZTL INFORMED US WE WERE CLRED TO FL250. HE ASKED US TO LEVEL AT FL260. WE DID SO THEN WE WERE ASKED TO MAKE A L TURN TO 340. WE DID NOT GET A TCASII ALERT OR WARNING. A MIN LATER WE WERE CLRED TO FL290 AND ON COURSE.

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.