Narrative:

The flight in question was filed as an IFR flight of a single fgt X (2 place) from scott AFB, il, to tyndall AFB, fl. The flight clearance was relayed from scott clearance delivery and copied by me, the PIC, prior to taxi at scott. The clearance read: 'fgt X is cleared to tyndall as filed, after takeoff right turn to a heading of 160 degrees, climb to 2000', expect FL310, departure control on 259.1, squawk XXXX.' my readback was acknowledged as correct. While taxiing, the altitude clearance was amended to 5000'. When airborne from runway 14, I reported to departure control, confirmed my climb to 5000' and heading of 160 degrees. Departure control acknowledged and confirmed radar contact. As I approached assigned altitude I was cleared to 6000' with a heading change to 170 degrees with a frequency change. Upon reporting assigned altitude, I was cleared to 7000'. When reporting 7000', I was cleared to a higher intermediate altitude and instructed to contact ZKC on frequency 291.7. I acknowledged, started a climb and changed frequencys. I was unable to contact center on what I thought to be the assigned frequency. As I passed 8000', I was unsure of the assigned altitude, slowed my climb rate, returned quickly to last contact frequency for scott departure control, established contact with scott, reported no contact with ZKC and asked that my last assigned altitude be confirmed. Departure control acknowledged, stated 8000' and repeated 291.7 for contact with ZKC. I immediately pushed the aircraft over at 9500' for a rapid descent to 8000'. This time the correct frequency was dialed in (291.7) and voice contact with ZKC was established. I reported level at 8000'. The controller asked if I had been above that altitude. I acknowledged that I had popped up to 9700'. The controller advised an air carrier on another frequency that the conflict in traffic was caused by pilot error and had that aircraft return to the desired routing. ZKC then assigned a higher flight level and subsequently turned me over to mem for further flight following and control to destination. ZME advised that I had been requested to contact ZKC by phone upon arrival at tyndall and provided the phone number. I complied with the request and spoke to a supervisor by car phone from plane side. All further reporting of this occurrence is as a result of that conversation and that with the qap manager also of ZKC. Supplemental information from acn 93746: the numbers all ran together in my mind. The front seat pilot flying the fgt X initially misdialed the frequency as we began the climb. He went back to approach while I tried to find the center frequency I'd written down. We had a short discussion over the altitude assigned and decided to ask center as soon as we checked in on the proper frequency. Later analysis, according to the FAA, showed us at 4.593 mi horizontal sep and 500' vertical from the other aircraft. While we can't deny our obvious human error, several factors contributed. As fgt pilots, we were both unaccustomed to such a shallow departure profile with its numerous incremental altitude changes. Our minimum tech order climb speed is 350 KTS, which yields a 20 degree climb angle at military power. In full afterburner the fgt could have leveled at our filed altitude of FL310 about 1 min after brake release. Perhaps we should have tried to coordinate a more compatible climb out with fewer frequency changes and intermediate level offs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FGT CLIMBED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT AND HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH AN ACR ACFT.

Narrative: THE FLT IN QUESTION WAS FILED AS AN IFR FLT OF A SINGLE FGT X (2 PLACE) FROM SCOTT AFB, IL, TO TYNDALL AFB, FL. THE FLT CLRNC WAS RELAYED FROM SCOTT CLRNC DELIVERY AND COPIED BY ME, THE PIC, PRIOR TO TAXI AT SCOTT. THE CLRNC READ: 'FGT X IS CLRED TO TYNDALL AS FILED, AFTER TKOF RIGHT TURN TO A HDG OF 160 DEGS, CLB TO 2000', EXPECT FL310, DEP CTL ON 259.1, SQUAWK XXXX.' MY READBACK WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AS CORRECT. WHILE TAXIING, THE ALT CLRNC WAS AMENDED TO 5000'. WHEN AIRBORNE FROM RWY 14, I RPTED TO DEP CTL, CONFIRMED MY CLB TO 5000' AND HDG OF 160 DEGS. DEP CTL ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONFIRMED RADAR CONTACT. AS I APCHED ASSIGNED ALT I WAS CLRED TO 6000' WITH A HDG CHANGE TO 170 DEGS WITH A FREQ CHANGE. UPON RPTING ASSIGNED ALT, I WAS CLRED TO 7000'. WHEN RPTING 7000', I WAS CLRED TO A HIGHER INTERMEDIATE ALT AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT ZKC ON FREQ 291.7. I ACKNOWLEDGED, STARTED A CLB AND CHANGED FREQS. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT CENTER ON WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE ASSIGNED FREQ. AS I PASSED 8000', I WAS UNSURE OF THE ASSIGNED ALT, SLOWED MY CLB RATE, RETURNED QUICKLY TO LAST CONTACT FREQ FOR SCOTT DEP CTL, ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH SCOTT, RPTED NO CONTACT WITH ZKC AND ASKED THAT MY LAST ASSIGNED ALT BE CONFIRMED. DEP CTL ACKNOWLEDGED, STATED 8000' AND REPEATED 291.7 FOR CONTACT WITH ZKC. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE ACFT OVER AT 9500' FOR A RAPID DSCNT TO 8000'. THIS TIME THE CORRECT FREQ WAS DIALED IN (291.7) AND VOICE CONTACT WITH ZKC WAS ESTABLISHED. I RPTED LEVEL AT 8000'. THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD BEEN ABOVE THAT ALT. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I HAD POPPED UP TO 9700'. THE CTLR ADVISED AN ACR ON ANOTHER FREQ THAT THE CONFLICT IN TFC WAS CAUSED BY PLT ERROR AND HAD THAT ACFT RETURN TO THE DESIRED ROUTING. ZKC THEN ASSIGNED A HIGHER FLT LEVEL AND SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED ME OVER TO MEM FOR FURTHER FLT FOLLOWING AND CONTROL TO DEST. ZME ADVISED THAT I HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO CONTACT ZKC BY PHONE UPON ARR AT TYNDALL AND PROVIDED THE PHONE NUMBER. I COMPLIED WITH THE REQUEST AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR BY CAR PHONE FROM PLANE SIDE. ALL FURTHER RPTING OF THIS OCCURRENCE IS AS A RESULT OF THAT CONVERSATION AND THAT WITH THE QAP MGR ALSO OF ZKC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 93746: THE NUMBERS ALL RAN TOGETHER IN MY MIND. THE FRONT SEAT PLT FLYING THE FGT X INITIALLY MISDIALED THE FREQ AS WE BEGAN THE CLB. HE WENT BACK TO APCH WHILE I TRIED TO FIND THE CENTER FREQ I'D WRITTEN DOWN. WE HAD A SHORT DISCUSSION OVER THE ALT ASSIGNED AND DECIDED TO ASK CENTER AS SOON AS WE CHKED IN ON THE PROPER FREQ. LATER ANALYSIS, ACCORDING TO THE FAA, SHOWED US AT 4.593 MI HORIZ SEP AND 500' VERT FROM THE OTHER ACFT. WHILE WE CAN'T DENY OUR OBVIOUS HUMAN ERROR, SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED. AS FGT PLTS, WE WERE BOTH UNACCUSTOMED TO SUCH A SHALLOW DEP PROFILE WITH ITS NUMEROUS INCREMENTAL ALT CHANGES. OUR MINIMUM TECH ORDER CLB SPD IS 350 KTS, WHICH YIELDS A 20 DEG CLB ANGLE AT MIL PWR. IN FULL AFTERBURNER THE FGT COULD HAVE LEVELED AT OUR FILED ALT OF FL310 ABOUT 1 MIN AFTER BRAKE RELEASE. PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO COORDINATE A MORE COMPATIBLE CLBOUT WITH FEWER FREQ CHANGES AND INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OFFS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.