PLT OF AN SMT SEL TURBOPROP CARGO ACFT OVERSHOT CLB ALT DUE TO THE MINDSET OF A HIGHER ALT FAVORED BECAUSE OF AN EXPECTED TAILWIND. ATC INTERVENED AND EVENTUALLY ASSIGNED HIM THE DESIRED HIGHER ALT.

Narrative

UPON TAXI OUT OF HOBBS; NM; AT XA45 I WAS AWARE OF STRONG TAILWINDS AT MY FILED ALT OF 11000 FT. WHEN I CALLED FOR CLRNC I LEARNED THAT MY FLT PLAN HAD DROPPED OUT OF THE SYS AND WAS BEING PUT BACK IN. AS I WAITED I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RPT A GOOD GND SPD AT 11000 FT. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC WITH THE NORMAL ROUTING AND AN ALT OF 7000 FT; AND I READ IT BACK CORRECTLY. I DEPARTED AND CLBED ON COURSE; UPON RECEIVING A HDOF TO ZFW I HAD FORGOTTEN TO LEVEL OFF AT 7000 FT. I CALLED CTR CLBING THROUGH 7500 FT FOR 11000 FT. CTR ASKED MY ASSIGNED ALT; I REPLIED 11000 FT. CTR SAID STAND BY WHILE I CHK; AT WHICH POINT I REMEMBERED THAT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AT 7000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT BACK TO 7000 FT. CTR ASKED AGAIN FOR MY ASSIGNED ALT. I SAID 7000 FT; I'M DSNDING TO 7000 FT. I THEN ASKED CTR IF THIS (ALT) WAS BECAUSE OF TFC OF WHAT? THERE WAS NO REPLY. CTR CLRED ME TO 11000 FT. I READ IT BACK AND CLBED TO 11000 FT. CTR ADVISED ME OF A POSSIBLE PLTDEV; TO CALL ZFW ON THE GND; AND HANDED ME OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. I BELIEVE THAT THROUGH THE FAMILIARITY OF MY USUAL CLRNC TO 11000 FT AND MY PLANS TO CLB TO A GOOD TAILWIND ALT; I HAD DEVELOPED A MINDSET OF CLBING TO 11000 FT WHICH OVERSHADOWED MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT. TO ASSURE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN I HAVE ADOPTED 2 METHODS OF ENGRAVING THE ASSIGNED ALT IN MY MEMORY -- I WRITE IT DOWN AND DIAL IT INTO MY ADF DISPLAY.