Narrative:

On the ground in fat, my first officer got a clearance to ont. The clearance received was for an X, not a Y. I called back clearance and obtained a new clearance for our aircraft type. The controller told me the original clearance was void and the new clearance applied. (Note: the original clearance gave 9000' for an initial altitude.) the new clearance gave 10000' initially after departure. We departed fat and switched to departure. My first officer called fat departure giving them the altitude we were out of (1200'). We were runway heading. Departure told us to turn left to intercept V23 and resume our own navigation. No new altitude or instructions were received. Around 9400' MSL, departure asked us our altitude. The first officer told him we were passing through 9.5 for 10000'. Departure told us we should have leveled at 9000' and that there was opp traffic at 11 O'clock and 1 1/2 mi. I came on and told him I saw that traffic and told him we were given 10000' as an altitude. Departure then told us to climb to 10000' and that it was 'his mistake' because he assumed we were an X aircraft and that our final was 9000'. No new clearance was ever given to us after we received our initial clearance and no traffic was ever issued to us by departure control, let alone a new altitude. We were in no way at fault. The controller admitted that he made the mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AMENDED CLRNC GIVES DEP CTLR A MOMENT OF CONCERN IN DEALING WITH DEPARTING ACFT. OPERATIONAL ERROR ADMITTED BY CTLR.

Narrative: ON THE GND IN FAT, MY F/O GOT A CLRNC TO ONT. THE CLRNC RECEIVED WAS FOR AN X, NOT A Y. I CALLED BACK CLRNC AND OBTAINED A NEW CLRNC FOR OUR ACFT TYPE. THE CTLR TOLD ME THE ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS VOID AND THE NEW CLRNC APPLIED. (NOTE: THE ORIGINAL CLRNC GAVE 9000' FOR AN INITIAL ALT.) THE NEW CLRNC GAVE 10000' INITIALLY AFTER DEP. WE DEPARTED FAT AND SWITCHED TO DEP. MY F/O CALLED FAT DEP GIVING THEM THE ALT WE WERE OUT OF (1200'). WE WERE RWY HDG. DEP TOLD US TO TURN LEFT TO INTERCEPT V23 AND RESUME OUR OWN NAV. NO NEW ALT OR INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED. AROUND 9400' MSL, DEP ASKED US OUR ALT. THE F/O TOLD HIM WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 9.5 FOR 10000'. DEP TOLD US WE SHOULD HAVE LEVELED AT 9000' AND THAT THERE WAS OPP TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK AND 1 1/2 MI. I CAME ON AND TOLD HIM I SAW THAT TFC AND TOLD HIM WE WERE GIVEN 10000' AS AN ALT. DEP THEN TOLD US TO CLB TO 10000' AND THAT IT WAS 'HIS MISTAKE' BECAUSE HE ASSUMED WE WERE AN X ACFT AND THAT OUR FINAL WAS 9000'. NO NEW CLRNC WAS EVER GIVEN TO US AFTER WE RECEIVED OUR INITIAL CLRNC AND NO TFC WAS EVER ISSUED TO US BY DEP CTL, LET ALONE A NEW ALT. WE WERE IN NO WAY AT FAULT. THE CTLR ADMITTED THAT HE MADE THE MISTAKE.

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.