Air carrier issued climb through occupied altitude resulting in less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	135352
Time
Date	199001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fay
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13300 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	controller radar : 5 flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	135352
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At about XA09 local time, we contacted ZDC and reported level at 10,000. Fay approach control had handed us off to ZDC. ZDC cleared us to 16,000. Leaving 13,300 center said to maintain 13,000 because we had traffic at 8 O'clock and 4 mi at 14,000 (crossing paths). My first officer read back 16,000 to center when we were cleared above 10,000. I believe that too much controller training is taking place by controllers with very little experience. I am positive that we were cleared to 16,000. But suppose we were not. If we read back the wrong altitude, it is still the controller's responsibility to make sure that we understood the clearance, isn't it?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ISSUED CLIMB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA09 LCL TIME, WE CONTACTED ZDC AND REPORTED LEVEL AT 10,000. FAY APCH CTL HAD HANDED US OFF TO ZDC. ZDC CLRED US TO 16,000. LEAVING 13,300 CENTER SAID TO MAINTAIN 13,000 BECAUSE WE HAD TFC AT 8 O'CLOCK AND 4 MI AT 14,000 (XING PATHS). MY F/O READ BACK 16,000 TO CENTER WHEN WE WERE CLRED ABOVE 10,000. I BELIEVE THAT TOO MUCH CTLR TRAINING IS TAKING PLACE BY CTLRS WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE. I AM POSITIVE THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 16,000. BUT SUPPOSE WE WERE NOT. IF WE READ BACK THE WRONG ALT, IT IS STILL THE CTLR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC, ISN'T IT?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.