Rushed Departure Results In Altitude Bust

A recent Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) report of a Learjet 31 altitude bust on departure from Denver's Centennial Airport (APA) reminds all aviators that miscommunication, poor preflight planning and a loss of situational awareness can lead to serious mistakes. After takeoff, the two experienced Learjet pilots climbed to 10,000 feet instead of the 8,000 feet ATC had assigned. Also, because they were rushing the departure, they incorrectly set the aircraft's altimeters before takeoff, which meant that a subsequent climb to 12,000 feet also involved an error, for a total of three altitude/altimetry errors within just a few minutes of departure.