Narrative:

We started the engines approximately xa to depart to acy. Our company policy is that the copilot is to operate the communications and the captain fly the aircraft. As I was preparing the aircraft for taxi, the first officer contacted ground control for taxi clearance. Busy with what I was doing, I did not hear what ground control had said to us, except '...taxi to runway 26.' as we taxied to the runway, we completed our takeoff checklist. The tower cleared us into position and hold, which we did. Before we were cleared for takeoff, I asked the first officer if we were given an assigned heading or altitude for our initial climb, and he said 'no.' the tower pointed out traffic off the departure end of the runway, all slower than our plane. Then he cleared us for takeoff and '...maintain runway heading.' as we climbed out on runway heading, the tower assigned several headings to the right until we were at our on course heading. In one of our turns, climbing out of 2500', the tower called traffic at '4 O'clock at 2800', nwbnd,' which was not a factor. The first officer then questioned the tower to see if we had an altitude restriction. The tower replied, 'affirmative, 2000'.' at this time we were climbing through 2800', but the tower said we could maintain 3000' and contact departure. Departure control cleared us 'on course and climb to your requested altitude, 9500'.' there was no danger and no evasive action was required. I think both ground control and tower should have verified that we received our heading/altitude assignments. I should have not pus so much faith in my 5000-hour first officer, who had a 6 month check in the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 127868: I readback runway heading squawk XXXX departure control 124.1.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FLT FAILS TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT ON DEP RESULTING IN POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH DEP TRAFFIC FROM NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: WE STARTED THE ENGS APPROX XA TO DEPART TO ACY. OUR COMPANY POLICY IS THAT THE COPLT IS TO OPERATE THE COMS AND THE CAPT FLY THE ACFT. AS I WAS PREPARING THE ACFT FOR TAXI, THE F/O CONTACTED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC. BUSY WITH WHAT I WAS DOING, I DID NOT HEAR WHAT GND CTL HAD SAID TO US, EXCEPT '...TAXI TO RWY 26.' AS WE TAXIED TO THE RWY, WE COMPLETED OUR TKOF CHKLIST. THE TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD, WHICH WE DID. BEFORE WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, I ASKED THE F/O IF WE WERE GIVEN AN ASSIGNED HDG OR ALT FOR OUR INITIAL CLB, AND HE SAID 'NO.' THE TWR POINTED OUT TFC OFF THE DEP END OF THE RWY, ALL SLOWER THAN OUR PLANE. THEN HE CLRED US FOR TKOF AND '...MAINTAIN RWY HDG.' AS WE CLBED OUT ON RWY HDG, THE TWR ASSIGNED SEVERAL HDGS TO THE RIGHT UNTIL WE WERE AT OUR ON COURSE HDG. IN ONE OF OUR TURNS, CLBING OUT OF 2500', THE TWR CALLED TFC AT '4 O'CLOCK AT 2800', NWBND,' WHICH WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE F/O THEN QUESTIONED THE TWR TO SEE IF WE HAD AN ALT RESTRICTION. THE TWR REPLIED, 'AFFIRMATIVE, 2000'.' AT THIS TIME WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 2800', BUT THE TWR SAID WE COULD MAINTAIN 3000' AND CONTACT DEP. DEP CTL CLRED US 'ON COURSE AND CLB TO YOUR REQUESTED ALT, 9500'.' THERE WAS NO DANGER AND NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. I THINK BOTH GND CTL AND TWR SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THAT WE RECEIVED OUR HDG/ALT ASSIGNMENTS. I SHOULD HAVE NOT PUS SO MUCH FAITH IN MY 5000-HR F/O, WHO HAD A 6 MONTH CHK IN THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 127868: I READBACK RWY HDG SQUAWK XXXX DEP CTL 124.1.

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.