Narrative:

I asked my first officer to obtain the departure clearance. While taxiing for departure, all of the taxi checklist was accomplished in the normal manner and all of the appropriate panel settings (including the altitude alerter setting of 5000' for the initial altitude). Immediately after calling the challenge 'departure briefing' the first officer began reading the clearance to me exactly as he had it neatly written down; 'the luk 1 departure ape transition as filed maintain 5000 expect 13000 10 mins. After departure'. He then said, 'would you like to look at the luk one departure?' I responded in the affirmative. We reviewed the SID and noted that all of our frequencys and radials were properly set and that there was an initial turn to 180 degrees and that the initial altitude of 2500' had been superseded by our departure clearance. Lunken tower gave us the clearance, 'turn left heading 180 cleared for takeoff'. The first officer contacted departure announcing that we were, 'out of two for five thousand' to which the controller replied, 'roger, radar contact' followed several seconds later by, 'turn left to a heading of 090' (I don't recall if that was the exact heading, however, at this time I would estimate that we were climbing through 3500') and shortly thereafter by, 'maintain 2500''. In response to that rather startling clearance, I began to immediately stop the climb (now approaching 4500') while simultaneously my first officer replied, 'you want us back down to 2500'?' the controller replied in a strongly affirmative way (at this time I was descending in earnest towards 2500' with thrust levers at idle and speedbrakes deployed). He then added, 'you've got air carrier above you at four' (we are now descending through approximately 4000'). During the preceding sequence of events we were about equally in and out of clouds with intermittent ground contact, but at no time did either of us see another aircraft nor did we have any pointed out to us. Upon landing at our destination, I immediately called cincinnati approach hoping to find out what the misunderstanding was about and was told by the supervisor that an investigation was in progress into the incident and that the tapes were being pulled and he asked if he could call me later. Supplemental information from acn 137214. A clearance for departure from cincinnati lunken was received as follows: lunken 1 departure, gail joger rv to port columbus, climb & maintain 5000' expect 13000' in 10 mins. The full clearance was read back and acknowledged as correct by lunken ground.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CLIMBED ABOVE SID RESTRICION ALT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH AN ACR.

Narrative: I ASKED MY F/O TO OBTAIN THE DEP CLRNC. WHILE TAXIING FOR DEP, ALL OF THE TAXI CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NORMAL MANNER AND ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE PANEL SETTINGS (INCLUDING THE ALT ALERTER SETTING OF 5000' FOR THE INITIAL ALT). IMMEDIATELY AFTER CALLING THE CHALLENGE 'DEP BRIEFING' THE F/O BEGAN READING THE CLRNC TO ME EXACTLY AS HE HAD IT NEATLY WRITTEN DOWN; 'THE LUK 1 DEP APE TRANSITION AS FILED MAINTAIN 5000 EXPECT 13000 10 MINS. AFTER DEP'. HE THEN SAID, 'WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT THE LUK ONE DEP?' I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE REVIEWED THE SID AND NOTED THAT ALL OF OUR FREQS AND RADIALS WERE PROPERLY SET AND THAT THERE WAS AN INITIAL TURN TO 180 DEGS AND THAT THE INITIAL ALT OF 2500' HAD BEEN SUPERSEDED BY OUR DEP CLRNC. LUNKEN TWR GAVE US THE CLRNC, 'TURN L HDG 180 CLRED FOR TKOF'. THE F/O CONTACTED DEP ANNOUNCING THAT WE WERE, 'OUT OF TWO FOR FIVE THOUSAND' TO WHICH THE CTLR REPLIED, 'ROGER, RADAR CONTACT' FOLLOWED SEVERAL SECS LATER BY, 'TURN L TO A HDG OF 090' (I DON'T RECALL IF THAT WAS THE EXACT HDG, HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 3500') AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY, 'MAINTAIN 2500''. IN RESPONSE TO THAT RATHER STARTLING CLRNC, I BEGAN TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE CLB (NOW APCHING 4500') WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MY F/O REPLIED, 'YOU WANT US BACK DOWN TO 2500'?' THE CTLR REPLIED IN A STRONGLY AFFIRMATIVE WAY (AT THIS TIME I WAS DSNDING IN EARNEST TOWARDS 2500' WITH THRUST LEVERS AT IDLE AND SPEEDBRAKES DEPLOYED). HE THEN ADDED, 'YOU'VE GOT ACR ABOVE YOU AT FOUR' (WE ARE NOW DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 4000'). DURING THE PRECEDING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WE WERE ABOUT EQUALLY IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS WITH INTERMITTENT GND CONTACT, BUT AT NO TIME DID EITHER OF US SEE ANOTHER ACFT NOR DID WE HAVE ANY POINTED OUT TO US. UPON LNDG AT OUR DEST, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED CINCINNATI APCH HOPING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE MISUNDERSTANDING WAS ABOUT AND WAS TOLD BY THE SUPVR THAT AN INVESTIGATION WAS IN PROGRESS INTO THE INCIDENT AND THAT THE TAPES WERE BEING PULLED AND HE ASKED IF HE COULD CALL ME LATER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 137214. A CLRNC FOR DEP FROM CINCINNATI LUNKEN WAS RECEIVED AS FOLLOWS: LUNKEN 1 DEP, GAIL JOGER RV TO PORT COLUMBUS, CLB & MAINTAIN 5000' EXPECT 13000' IN 10 MINS. THE FULL CLRNC WAS READ BACK AND ACKNOWLEDGED AS CORRECT BY LUNKEN GND.

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.