Air carrier flight crew reporting departing dal with a clearance to level at 5000 feet and was instr...

Attributes
ACN	1352230
Time
Date	201605
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	D10.TRACON
State Reference	TX
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Large Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Medium Transport Low Wing 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Departure
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 24.5
Person 2
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 243
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Undershoot Deviation - Procedural Clearance

Narrative:

Aircraft X departed dal on runway heading climbing to 050. This departure instruction [was] being used due to weather. On initial contact; the crew was instructed to climb to 170. He read back the clearance. A regional jet departed dfw on a 010 heading climbing to 100. Aircraft X leveled at 050; contrary to his clearance. I issued a 20 degree left turn and his reply was basically 'what?' I issued the turn again and once again he wasn't listening. I then advised him that he was supposed to be climbing to 170 and he started climbing. Closest proximity prior to divergence was approximately 1.66 miles and 0 feet. Had aircraft X climbed as instructed and acknowledged; he was climbing well enough that he would have been well above the regional jet.this procedure requires that all parties do as expected. A pilot leveling off will not work. We've tried other workarounds for doing this and they all have their problems. This is the most efficient way to run the traffic under this condition; but as previously stated; everyone must do what is expected. An unexpected level off won't work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier Flight Crew reporting departing DAL with a clearance to level at 5000 feet and was instructed to continue climbing to 17000 feet but the MCP altitude window was not adjusted and the aircraft leveled off. The clearance was reissued and the crew started to climb but not in time to avoid a loss of separation with a Regional Jet departing DFW.

Narrative: Aircraft X departed DAL on runway heading climbing to 050. This departure instruction [was] being used due to weather. On initial contact; the crew was instructed to climb to 170. He read back the clearance. A Regional Jet departed DFW on a 010 heading climbing to 100. Aircraft X leveled at 050; contrary to his clearance. I issued a 20 degree left turn and his reply was basically 'What?' I issued the turn again and once again he wasn't listening. I then advised him that he was supposed to be climbing to 170 and he started climbing. Closest proximity prior to divergence was approximately 1.66 miles and 0 feet. Had Aircraft X climbed as instructed and acknowledged; he was climbing well enough that he would have been well above the Regional Jet.This procedure requires that all parties do as expected. A pilot leveling off will not work. We've tried other workarounds for doing this and they all have their problems. This is the most efficient way to run the traffic under this condition; but as previously stated; everyone must do what is expected. An unexpected level off won't work.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.