Narrative:

After takeoff climbing to presumed altitude of 5000' as per standard departure procedures, reported to departure 'out of 1000', climbing to 5000'.' no reply received. Controller was talking to other airplanes and as we reached 4000', told us to 'stop climb at 4000',' then 'turn left to 270 degrees.' controller's voice reflected sense of urgency, not abnormal for northeast corridor area. We were then advised our altitude was supposed to be restr to 2500' on departure. Upon checking the chart for the ewr 2 departure, we discovered in fact that the altitude for runway 4 departures is 2500', whereas for runway 22, altitude restriction is 5000'. Both pilots had misinterpreted altitude limitation. Of notable interest: captain was dead-headed to ewr from another base early in the morning, arriving at the aircraft only moments before scheduled departure time. Both pilots reside in western time zone, so equivalent wake-up time was about 4 am. The time for receiving the departure was interrupted several times by aircraft servicing requirements, and the vol of communications required (load planning, ramp control, gate hold frequencys and ground crew), as well as non standard operations of being at a different terminal complex because of our company's operating flts for a different airline. It would seem that a common airport departure would at least have the same altitude restrictions regardless of runway used for departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW FAILS TO FOLLOW SID RESTRICTIONS ON ALT. ASSUMED THAT RESTRICTIONS APPLIED FOR OTHER RWYS AS WELL. CLIMBS THROUGH ALT RESTRICTION AND RECEIVES AMENDED CLRNC FROM ALERT TRACON DEP CTLR. REPORTER CITES EARLY MORNING GET UP AND BEING RUSHED TO MAKE SCHEDULE WITH MANY INTERRUPTIONS.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF CLBING TO PRESUMED ALT OF 5000' AS PER STANDARD DEP PROCS, RPTED TO DEP 'OUT OF 1000', CLBING TO 5000'.' NO REPLY RECEIVED. CTLR WAS TALKING TO OTHER AIRPLANES AND AS WE REACHED 4000', TOLD US TO 'STOP CLB AT 4000',' THEN 'TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGS.' CTLR'S VOICE REFLECTED SENSE OF URGENCY, NOT ABNORMAL FOR NE CORRIDOR AREA. WE WERE THEN ADVISED OUR ALT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RESTR TO 2500' ON DEP. UPON CHKING THE CHART FOR THE EWR 2 DEP, WE DISCOVERED IN FACT THAT THE ALT FOR RWY 4 DEPS IS 2500', WHEREAS FOR RWY 22, ALT RESTRICTION IS 5000'. BOTH PLTS HAD MISINTERPRETED ALT LIMITATION. OF NOTABLE INTEREST: CAPT WAS DEAD-HEADED TO EWR FROM ANOTHER BASE EARLY IN THE MORNING, ARRIVING AT THE ACFT ONLY MOMENTS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME. BOTH PLTS RESIDE IN WESTERN TIME ZONE, SO EQUIVALENT WAKE-UP TIME WAS ABOUT 4 AM. THE TIME FOR RECEIVING THE DEP WAS INTERRUPTED SEVERAL TIMES BY ACFT SERVICING REQUIREMENTS, AND THE VOL OF COMS REQUIRED (LOAD PLANNING, RAMP CTL, GATE HOLD FREQS AND GND CREW), AS WELL AS NON STANDARD OPS OF BEING AT A DIFFERENT TERMINAL COMPLEX BECAUSE OF OUR COMPANY'S OPERATING FLTS FOR A DIFFERENT AIRLINE. IT WOULD SEEM THAT A COMMON ARPT DEP WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE SAME ALT RESTRICTIONS REGARDLESS OF RWY USED FOR DEP.

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.