Narrative:

I was training someone on satellite position. Cuyahoga county (cgf) called and requested release on aircraft X. The developmental said heading 360 degrees released off of runway 24. When aircraft X checked in; he said leaving 1600 ft. This was all I heard at the time. Later; on the tape; pilot said leaving 1600 ft for 5000 ft. LOA with cgf states departures will climb to 3000 ft. My airspace for satellite only goes up to 3000 ft with arrival owning 4000-7000 ft. The developmental told aircraft X to identify. When he idents the developmental says; 'aircraft X radar contact 2 mi northwest of cgf; maintain 3000 ft; heading 360 degrees.' the pilot is at 3000 ft. After a pause; the pilot says; negative we are going through 3500 ft; we were given 5000 ft. The developmental says; descend and maintain 3000 ft. Separation was never lost. I received an airspace deviation for my airplane going into arrival's airspace. Supplemental information from acn 753670: the incident occurred after departure from cgf on runway 24 with a minor altitude deviation as a result of TCAS; crew coordination/confusion and the increased workload of a last-min clearance from the cgf tower. Our clearance for takeoff included fly runway heading to 1900 ft MSL then a right turn to 360 degrees without a repeat or verification of altitude climbing to. Immediately after departure; I received a traffic alert at 5000 ft MSL directly overhead while we were climbing to 3000 ft MSL. Before radar contact but after the initial call to departure; both crew members had conflicting understanding of our altitude clearance when the PNF called at our altitude and incorrectly stated climbing to 5000 ft when our clearance was to 3000 ft MSL. The workload was a factor by the last min clearance change; TCAS alert and the bells and whistles and the misstated altitude of 5000 ft. After hearing the TCAS alert; I slowed our climb knowing that something was not right; but because of our crew member confusion we missed our altitude of 3000 ft climbing approximately to 3500 ft. According to ATC; we never lost traffic separation; but they still required a phone call to approach to discuss what just happened. In conclusion; I feel that the last-min clearance of fly runway heading to an altitude with a 120 degree turn without restating the altitude contributed; along with the repeated TCAS callouts disrupting our crew communication; and increased our workload substantially.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLE CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN DEP CLIMBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS TRAINING SOMEONE ON SATELLITE POS. CUYAHOGA COUNTY (CGF) CALLED AND REQUESTED RELEASE ON ACFT X. THE DEVELOPMENTAL SAID HDG 360 DEGS RELEASED OFF OF RWY 24. WHEN ACFT X CHKED IN; HE SAID LEAVING 1600 FT. THIS WAS ALL I HEARD AT THE TIME. LATER; ON THE TAPE; PLT SAID LEAVING 1600 FT FOR 5000 FT. LOA WITH CGF STATES DEPS WILL CLB TO 3000 FT. MY AIRSPACE FOR SATELLITE ONLY GOES UP TO 3000 FT WITH ARR OWNING 4000-7000 FT. THE DEVELOPMENTAL TOLD ACFT X TO IDENT. WHEN HE IDENTS THE DEVELOPMENTAL SAYS; 'ACFT X RADAR CONTACT 2 MI NW OF CGF; MAINTAIN 3000 FT; HDG 360 DEGS.' THE PLT IS AT 3000 FT. AFTER A PAUSE; THE PLT SAYS; NEGATIVE WE ARE GOING THROUGH 3500 FT; WE WERE GIVEN 5000 FT. THE DEVELOPMENTAL SAYS; DSND AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. SEPARATION WAS NEVER LOST. I RECEIVED AN AIRSPACE DEV FOR MY AIRPLANE GOING INTO ARR'S AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 753670: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER DEP FROM CGF ON RWY 24 WITH A MINOR ALTDEV AS A RESULT OF TCAS; CREW COORD/CONFUSION AND THE INCREASED WORKLOAD OF A LAST-MIN CLRNC FROM THE CGF TWR. OUR CLRNC FOR TKOF INCLUDED FLY RWY HDG TO 1900 FT MSL THEN A R TURN TO 360 DEGS WITHOUT A REPEAT OR VERIFICATION OF ALT CLBING TO. IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP; I RECEIVED A TFC ALERT AT 5000 FT MSL DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WHILE WE WERE CLBING TO 3000 FT MSL. BEFORE RADAR CONTACT BUT AFTER THE INITIAL CALL TO DEP; BOTH CREW MEMBERS HAD CONFLICTING UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ALT CLRNC WHEN THE PNF CALLED AT OUR ALT AND INCORRECTLY STATED CLBING TO 5000 FT WHEN OUR CLRNC WAS TO 3000 FT MSL. THE WORKLOAD WAS A FACTOR BY THE LAST MIN CLRNC CHANGE; TCAS ALERT AND THE BELLS AND WHISTLES AND THE MISSTATED ALT OF 5000 FT. AFTER HEARING THE TCAS ALERT; I SLOWED OUR CLB KNOWING THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT; BUT BECAUSE OF OUR CREW MEMBER CONFUSION WE MISSED OUR ALT OF 3000 FT CLBING APPROX TO 3500 FT. ACCORDING TO ATC; WE NEVER LOST TFC SEPARATION; BUT THEY STILL REQUIRED A PHONE CALL TO APCH TO DISCUSS WHAT JUST HAPPENED. IN CONCLUSION; I FEEL THAT THE LAST-MIN CLRNC OF FLY RWY HDG TO AN ALT WITH A 120 DEG TURN WITHOUT RESTATING THE ALT CONTRIBUTED; ALONG WITH THE REPEATED TCAS CALLOUTS DISRUPTING OUR CREW COM; AND INCREASED OUR WORKLOAD SUBSTANTIALLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.