A C177 pilot who was fatigued and emotionally unfit to fly, has an altitude deviation while flying I...

Attributes
ACN	603580
Time
Date	200312
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma.artcc
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc tracon : jax.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	603580
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Having gotten too little sleep after an emotional breakup with my sweetheart of long standing, I took off from naples, fl (apf) to 47N (about 7 hours) VFR. I picked up flight following from ft myers who handed me off to ZMA. At 4500 ft, clouds began to build, so I called miami for an IFR clearance to VFR on top. Got the clearance to 7000 ft and climbed to 6000 ft -- thinking I was at 7000 ft and called center that I was on top at 7000 ft. The next controller told me I was at 6000 ft, so I climbed to 7000 ft and continued VFR on top. Later, I was cleared to, I think, 7500 ft but busted through that by a few hundred ft before I caught it. All around, poor flying. I was thinking about the breakup and with little sleep, plted very poorly, I'm sorry to say. Next time, I'll stay on the ground unless I'm physically and emotionally ready to undertake a flight -- especially a long flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177 PLT WHO WAS FATIGUED AND EMOTIONALLY UNFIT TO FLY, HAS AN ALTDEV WHILE FLYING IFR.

Narrative: HAVING GOTTEN TOO LITTLE SLEEP AFTER AN EMOTIONAL BREAKUP WITH MY SWEETHEART OF LONG STANDING, I TOOK OFF FROM NAPLES, FL (APF) TO 47N (ABOUT 7 HRS) VFR. I PICKED UP FLT FOLLOWING FROM FT MYERS WHO HANDED ME OFF TO ZMA. AT 4500 FT, CLOUDS BEGAN TO BUILD, SO I CALLED MIAMI FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO VFR ON TOP. GOT THE CLRNC TO 7000 FT AND CLBED TO 6000 FT -- THINKING I WAS AT 7000 FT AND CALLED CTR THAT I WAS ON TOP AT 7000 FT. THE NEXT CTLR TOLD ME I WAS AT 6000 FT, SO I CLBED TO 7000 FT AND CONTINUED VFR ON TOP. LATER, I WAS CLRED TO, I THINK, 7500 FT BUT BUSTED THROUGH THAT BY A FEW HUNDRED FT BEFORE I CAUGHT IT. ALL AROUND, POOR FLYING. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE BREAKUP AND WITH LITTLE SLEEP, PLTED VERY POORLY, I'M SORRY TO SAY. NEXT TIME, I'LL STAY ON THE GND UNLESS I'M PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY READY TO UNDERTAKE A FLT -- ESPECIALLY A LONG FLT.

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.

A C177 pilot who was fatigued and emotionally unfit to fly, has an altitude deviation while flying IFR.