Narrative:

Busted assigned altitude by 300-500' on climb out to FL230 during rapid changes in heading vectors (presumably for traffic) and altitude restrictions (also traffic called and observed above and several mi away), i.e., cleared to FL230 then restr to FL200 or FL210 (uncertain). Adjacent center (chicago) apparently refusing entry into high altitude sector (advised FL230 to be final) when FL310 filed and 'cleared as filed,' (luk-tvc). Much confusion in cockpit and at center when all of us wake up to being above FL200 and center says, 'get back down to FL200!!!' center then asked what is altitude, to which we reply, 'descending through 20300' to FL200.' short pause and then, 'turn left 50 degrees for traffic,' and then 'climb to FL230.' several mins later while crew is still trying to remember what the sequence of events were, different controller voice says call center on phone (#) upon return to base, 'there may have been a violation of required sep.' called center on return to base and advised that problem occurred but didn't have the 'package from the floor yet,' (bad day) but 'our FSDO would be informed.' waiting for next FAA move now after talking to FSDO who had no knowledge as yet. Problems on crew's part: poor crew coordination on revising altitude (captain accepts responsibility) alerter setting with changes in altitudes climbing to! No flight director command bar warning of altitude bust. Possible problems with ADI/FD that had just been worked on. Pilot hand flying using flight director. Later found autoplt/FD worked ok, but ADI not slaving properly to new vg just installed and ground checked ok, ADI replaced and all system now ok. Center problems: too much confusion audible in background. Fighting over handoffs with adjacent center. Chicago center of cleveland refusing to allow north/south traffic to climb into altitudes above FL230 while crossing east/west flow into chicago. Too many close altitude restrictions!!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT CAUSES LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: BUSTED ASSIGNED ALT BY 300-500' ON CLBOUT TO FL230 DURING RAPID CHANGES IN HDG VECTORS (PRESUMABLY FOR TFC) AND ALT RESTRICTIONS (ALSO TFC CALLED AND OBSERVED ABOVE AND SEVERAL MI AWAY), I.E., CLRED TO FL230 THEN RESTR TO FL200 OR FL210 (UNCERTAIN). ADJACENT CENTER (CHICAGO) APPARENTLY REFUSING ENTRY INTO HIGH ALT SECTOR (ADVISED FL230 TO BE FINAL) WHEN FL310 FILED AND 'CLRED AS FILED,' (LUK-TVC). MUCH CONFUSION IN COCKPIT AND AT CENTER WHEN ALL OF US WAKE UP TO BEING ABOVE FL200 AND CENTER SAYS, 'GET BACK DOWN TO FL200!!!' CENTER THEN ASKED WHAT IS ALT, TO WHICH WE REPLY, 'DSNDING THROUGH 20300' TO FL200.' SHORT PAUSE AND THEN, 'TURN LEFT 50 DEGS FOR TFC,' AND THEN 'CLB TO FL230.' SEVERAL MINS LATER WHILE CREW IS STILL TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WERE, DIFFERENT CTLR VOICE SAYS CALL CENTER ON PHONE (#) UPON RETURN TO BASE, 'THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A VIOLATION OF REQUIRED SEP.' CALLED CENTER ON RETURN TO BASE AND ADVISED THAT PROB OCCURRED BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE 'PACKAGE FROM THE FLOOR YET,' (BAD DAY) BUT 'OUR FSDO WOULD BE INFORMED.' WAITING FOR NEXT FAA MOVE NOW AFTER TALKING TO FSDO WHO HAD NO KNOWLEDGE AS YET. PROBS ON CREW'S PART: POOR CREW COORD ON REVISING ALT (CAPT ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY) ALERTER SETTING WITH CHANGES IN ALTS CLBING TO! NO FLT DIRECTOR COMMAND BAR WARNING OF ALT BUST. POSSIBLE PROBS WITH ADI/FD THAT HAD JUST BEEN WORKED ON. PLT HAND FLYING USING FLT DIRECTOR. LATER FOUND AUTOPLT/FD WORKED OK, BUT ADI NOT SLAVING PROPERLY TO NEW VG JUST INSTALLED AND GND CHKED OK, ADI REPLACED AND ALL SYS NOW OK. CENTER PROBS: TOO MUCH CONFUSION AUDIBLE IN BACKGROUND. FIGHTING OVER HDOFS WITH ADJACENT CENTER. CHICAGO CENTER OF CLEVELAND REFUSING TO ALLOW N/S TFC TO CLB INTO ALTS ABOVE FL230 WHILE XING E/W FLOW INTO CHICAGO. TOO MANY CLOSE ALT RESTRICTIONS!!!

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.