Narrative:

On 11/xx/89, I was first officer on an airlines flight from slc to bur. This flight was an medium large transport X aircraft. I was at the controls, the captain was handling communications. Our initial clearance was a slc 3 departure to 8000'. After takeoff we were given a left turn to a heading of 280 degrees and told to contact departure. The aircraft was light and climbing in excess of 4000 FPM, departure frequency of 124.3 was fairly busy and we finally contacted departure passing through approximately 6500' climbing. The controller's response was a hurried 'roger, maintain 2-3-oh.' the captain responded 'roger, 2-3-oh.' at this point, FL230 was selected on the aircraft's MCP. Passing 9000' the controller asked if we could expedite through 11000'. The captain responded that we were climbing at 4000 FPM and he doubted that we could do any better. It was at this point that the controller said that we had been assigned 8000'. The captain replied that we had been assigned FLT230. The controller's reply was, 'I said 200-30 KTS, sir.' the flight continued to bur. The major reason for this deviation was the controller's nonspecific 'maintain 2-3-0H.' those #'south alone can imply heading, altitude or airspeed. Heading is normally preceded by a direction, ie, 'left to 230.' speed almost always, '200-30-KTS.' altitudes are mostly called flight levels, but that is commonly omitted. I must emphasize that the controller's command was never interpreted as speed. Contributing was the fact that FL230 is a common intermediate altitude, frequency congestion and the aircraft's rate of climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISCOM BETWEEN ATC AND MLG CAUSES ALT AND SPEED DEVIATION.

Narrative: ON 11/XX/89, I WAS F/O ON AN AIRLINES FLT FROM SLC TO BUR. THIS FLT WAS AN MLG X ACFT. I WAS AT THE CONTROLS, THE CAPT WAS HANDLING COMS. OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS A SLC 3 DEP TO 8000'. AFTER TKOF WE WERE GIVEN A LEFT TURN TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS AND TOLD TO CONTACT DEP. THE ACFT WAS LIGHT AND CLBING IN EXCESS OF 4000 FPM, DEP FREQ OF 124.3 WAS FAIRLY BUSY AND WE FINALLY CONTACTED DEP PASSING THROUGH APPROX 6500' CLBING. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS A HURRIED 'ROGER, MAINTAIN 2-3-OH.' THE CAPT RESPONDED 'ROGER, 2-3-OH.' AT THIS POINT, FL230 WAS SELECTED ON THE ACFT'S MCP. PASSING 9000' THE CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD EXPEDITE THROUGH 11000'. THE CAPT RESPONDED THAT WE WERE CLBING AT 4000 FPM AND HE DOUBTED THAT WE COULD DO ANY BETTER. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 8000'. THE CAPT REPLIED THAT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED FLT230. THE CTLR'S REPLY WAS, 'I SAID 200-30 KTS, SIR.' THE FLT CONTINUED TO BUR. THE MAJOR REASON FOR THIS DEVIATION WAS THE CTLR'S NONSPECIFIC 'MAINTAIN 2-3-0H.' THOSE #'S ALONE CAN IMPLY HDG, ALT OR AIRSPD. HDG IS NORMALLY PRECEDED BY A DIRECTION, IE, 'LEFT TO 230.' SPD ALMOST ALWAYS, '200-30-KTS.' ALTS ARE MOSTLY CALLED FLT LEVELS, BUT THAT IS COMMONLY OMITTED. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT THE CTLR'S COMMAND WAS NEVER INTERPRETED AS SPD. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE FACT THAT FL230 IS A COMMON INTERMEDIATE ALT, FREQ CONGESTION AND THE ACFT'S RATE OF CLB.

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.