Narrative:

The flight was cleared to baltimore via the metropolitan 6 departure. To maintain 5000', 6000' was set into the altitude alerter as the initial climb altitude. During the takeoff briefing I mistakenly read the #6 of the metropolitan 6 departure as being our initial altitude. Upon contacting the departure controller he cleared us to 11000' and questioned our 6000' initial climb. We acknowledged the 6000' and felt we were at the assigned altitude. Nothing more was said. Upon landing in baltimore and further examination of my shorthand, I realized the problem. I had read the wrong number. I called the controller in detroit and spoke with him to confirm what had happened. He agreed. I explained my mistake and how it occurred. The controller was understanding. Some of the factors which I feel led to this mistake were darkness, low light level in cockpit for better attention to snow covered txwys. My inexperience in snow conditions and preoccupation to snow and ice adhering to the surfaces stating the altitude in the takeoff briefing to the crew was passed over too quickly and not confirmed with the SID. This situation occurred on the last day of a 4 day trip. First departure of the morning. Something that also could have broke my concentration was the problem with seat adjustment. That morning I could not adjust it. Inattentiveness and preoccupation were the major problems. Supplemental information from acn 103865: the first officer noticed that the clearance he wrote down in dtw appeared to contain a metropolitan SID to maintain 5000'. A check was made by phone with the departure controller and he reaffirmed the 5000' clearance. I think that any time a deviation from a SID departure is issued, it may work to everyone's advantage to issue the change from the tower just prior to takeoff clearance, especially in the predawn hours such as this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT ON SID.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS CLRED TO BALTIMORE VIA THE METRO 6 DEP. TO MAINTAIN 5000', 6000' WAS SET INTO THE ALT ALERTER AS THE INITIAL CLB ALT. DURING THE TKOF BRIEFING I MISTAKENLY READ THE #6 OF THE METRO 6 DEP AS BEING OUR INITIAL ALT. UPON CONTACTING THE DEP CTLR HE CLRED US TO 11000' AND QUESTIONED OUR 6000' INITIAL CLB. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE 6000' AND FELT WE WERE AT THE ASSIGNED ALT. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID. UPON LNDG IN BALTIMORE AND FURTHER EXAMINATION OF MY SHORTHAND, I REALIZED THE PROB. I HAD READ THE WRONG NUMBER. I CALLED THE CTLR IN DETROIT AND SPOKE WITH HIM TO CONFIRM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE AGREED. I EXPLAINED MY MISTAKE AND HOW IT OCCURRED. THE CTLR WAS UNDERSTANDING. SOME OF THE FACTORS WHICH I FEEL LED TO THIS MISTAKE WERE DARKNESS, LOW LIGHT LEVEL IN COCKPIT FOR BETTER ATTN TO SNOW COVERED TXWYS. MY INEXPERIENCE IN SNOW CONDITIONS AND PREOCCUPATION TO SNOW AND ICE ADHERING TO THE SURFACES STATING THE ALT IN THE TKOF BRIEFING TO THE CREW WAS PASSED OVER TOO QUICKLY AND NOT CONFIRMED WITH THE SID. THIS SITUATION OCCURRED ON THE LAST DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP. FIRST DEP OF THE MORNING. SOMETHING THAT ALSO COULD HAVE BROKE MY CONCENTRATION WAS THE PROB WITH SEAT ADJUSTMENT. THAT MORNING I COULD NOT ADJUST IT. INATTENTIVENESS AND PREOCCUPATION WERE THE MAJOR PROBS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 103865: THE F/O NOTICED THAT THE CLRNC HE WROTE DOWN IN DTW APPEARED TO CONTAIN A METRO SID TO MAINTAIN 5000'. A CHK WAS MADE BY PHONE WITH THE DEP CTLR AND HE REAFFIRMED THE 5000' CLRNC. I THINK THAT ANY TIME A DEVIATION FROM A SID DEP IS ISSUED, IT MAY WORK TO EVERYONE'S ADVANTAGE TO ISSUE THE CHANGE FROM THE TWR JUST PRIOR TO TKOF CLRNC, ESPECIALLY IN THE PREDAWN HRS SUCH AS THIS.

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.