Narrative:

On departure instructions from oakland airport to minden douglas county, nv mev, I was told to expect 11,000 10 mins after departure. The departure was a series of altitude restrictions until I was near livermore, ca and was told to climb to 11,000 (my clearance requested altitude, (I thought)). I read back that I was leaving 7000 climbing to 11. No acknowledgement was received from departure. Passing through 10,300, I was advised by departure that I was only cleared to 10,000 so I immediately halted my climb and went down to 10,000. Arriving 10,000 I was told to switch to stockton approach who cleared me immediately to 11,000. I feel that departure should acknowledge that I read back wrong. Same as I do for frequency changes. Often I get them wrong and have to come back to discover I heard the number wrong. Why read back if ATC doesn't seem to care if you get it wrong? A frequency isn't so bad, but an altitude is. Later in the flight oakland center wanted me to go to 13,000 so I advised I would like to stay at 11,000 and remain for advisories and that I would be willing to cancel my IFR if necessary. They were quick to have me cancel and advised me to squawk VFR which I did. However, I remained at 11,000 because they said nothing about changing my altitude and I was still under radar contact. Later they let me know that I needed to be at odd + 500' since I was VFR, so I reported leaving 11,000 for 11,500. Often times I have been on radar advisories and given IFR altitudes to fly. If center wants you at a VFR altitude, then they should say so at the time they advise you to squawk 1200.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT READ BACK CLRNC BUT NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. CLRNC DISPUTED BY CTLR WHO APPARENTLY HAD NOT LISTENED TO READBACK.

Narrative: ON DEP INSTRUCTIONS FROM OAKLAND ARPT TO MINDEN DOUGLAS COUNTY, NV MEV, I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT 11,000 10 MINS AFTER DEP. THE DEP WAS A SERIES OF ALT RESTRICTIONS UNTIL I WAS NEAR LIVERMORE, CA AND WAS TOLD TO CLIMB TO 11,000 (MY CLRNC REQUESTED ALT, (I THOUGHT)). I READ BACK THAT I WAS LEAVING 7000 CLIMBING TO 11. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM DEP. PASSING THROUGH 10,300, I WAS ADVISED BY DEP THAT I WAS ONLY CLRED TO 10,000 SO I IMMEDIATELY HALTED MY CLIMB AND WENT DOWN TO 10,000. ARRIVING 10,000 I WAS TOLD TO SWITCH TO STOCKTON APCH WHO CLRED ME IMMEDIATELY TO 11,000. I FEEL THAT DEP SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I READ BACK WRONG. SAME AS I DO FOR FREQ CHANGES. OFTEN I GET THEM WRONG AND HAVE TO COME BACK TO DISCOVER I HEARD THE NUMBER WRONG. WHY READ BACK IF ATC DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE IF YOU GET IT WRONG? A FREQ ISN'T SO BAD, BUT AN ALT IS. LATER IN THE FLT OAKLAND CENTER WANTED ME TO GO TO 13,000 SO I ADVISED I WOULD LIKE TO STAY AT 11,000 AND REMAIN FOR ADVISORIES AND THAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO CANCEL MY IFR IF NECESSARY. THEY WERE QUICK TO HAVE ME CANCEL AND ADVISED ME TO SQUAWK VFR WHICH I DID. HOWEVER, I REMAINED AT 11,000 BECAUSE THEY SAID NOTHING ABOUT CHANGING MY ALT AND I WAS STILL UNDER RADAR CONTACT. LATER THEY LET ME KNOW THAT I NEEDED TO BE AT ODD + 500' SINCE I WAS VFR, SO I REPORTED LEAVING 11,000 FOR 11,500. OFTEN TIMES I HAVE BEEN ON RADAR ADVISORIES AND GIVEN IFR ALTS TO FLY. IF CENTER WANTS YOU AT A VFR ALT, THEN THEY SHOULD SAY SO AT THE TIME THEY ADVISE YOU TO SQUAWK 1200.

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.