Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation overshot during SID from lga.

Attributes
ACN	117180
Time
Date	198907
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	117180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	117174
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Departure lga airport north runway 13 with the white stone climb. Tower switched us to departure (120.4). Upon contact with departure we were given a left turn and assigned 15,000' altitude. Climbing through 7500' the controller gave us traffic at 10 O'clock and indicated we were to pass below this traffic. I had visual on this traffic and could tell we were going to clear this traffic horizontal, but looked as though we might pass through his altitude. I told the first officer to confirm our assigned altitude. The first officer told the controller we had the traffic and to confirm assigned altitude of 15,000'. (We were climbing through 9000'.) the controller came back and said we were cleared to 9000 then immediately cleared us to 15,000 and we continued our climb. To my knowledge there was no conflict with the traffic, but there was confusion as to our assigned altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING SID FROM LGA.

Narrative: DEP LGA ARPT N RWY 13 WITH THE WHITE STONE CLIMB. TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP (120.4). UPON CONTACT WITH DEP WE WERE GIVEN A LEFT TURN AND ASSIGNED 15,000' ALT. CLIMBING THROUGH 7500' THE CTLR GAVE US TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AND INDICATED WE WERE TO PASS BELOW THIS TFC. I HAD VISUAL ON THIS TFC AND COULD TELL WE WERE GOING TO CLEAR THIS TFC HORIZONTAL, BUT LOOKED AS THOUGH WE MIGHT PASS THROUGH HIS ALT. I TOLD THE F/O TO CONFIRM OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE F/O TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD THE TFC AND TO CONFIRM ASSIGNED ALT OF 15,000'. (WE WERE CLIMBING THROUGH 9000'.) THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 9000 THEN IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO 15,000 AND WE CONTINUED OUR CLIMB. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH THE TFC, BUT THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT.

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.