Narrative:

On the ground at ocala, I received a clearance specifying 2000' as the initial altitude. When departure was contacted the first time, no mention of altitude or heading was made. On the second contact, it was mentioned that I was in radar contact, but the controller did not mention anything about a clearance limit. This is a point at which the controller's instructions became unclr. When the controller called again, I understood that I had been cleared to 3000' but no heading was given. This clearance was acknowledged, read back and approved as read. There was no communication for awhile, then the controller called to ask the present altitude. I told him 2900'. The controller did not say anything about the altitude and shortly thereafter another controller came on the frequency in response to my request to repeat whatever information he had said a few moments before. The new controller indicated that there had been some type of pilot deviation, but did not elaborate. From there I continued to tamiami. Contributing factors leading to the confusion were as follows: 1) departing on in IFR clearance from an uncontrolled field. 2) when departure was contacted, no altitude or heading was issued. 3) during climb out, there were numerous cloud buildups in all quadrants which I was trying to avoid. At this point, safety and keeping as much distance from the clouds as possible was of paramount importance. Pilot workload was very high and my numerous other calls on the same frequency made communication with the controller very difficult. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter called to state that the FAA wants him to receive training and/or license suspension as the result of this incident. Told reporter that ASRS will process his report today and mail the identify strip no later than friday. Reporter stated that he had contacted ZJX on the ground at ocala and had received IFR clearance. No heading was issued but he was told to maintain 2000'. He contacted ZJX radar controller after takeoff. The controller radar idented his aircraft and issued a heading for vector. Controller then issued traffic to reporter and stated the aircraft was at 3000'. Reporter understood that the controller wanted him to climb to 3000' since his requested altitude was 9000'. Reporter stated he had the traffic in sight and started his climb to 3000'. Reporter stated that he read back the clearance to controller. Also, he said WX was a factor and the controller was extremely busy with other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MISTOOK A TRAFFIC ALERT ISSUED BY THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR AS A CLRNC TO CLB TO 3000' AND SEP WAS LOST WITH ANOTHER ACFT AT 3000'.

Narrative: ON THE GND AT OCALA, I RECEIVED A CLRNC SPECIFYING 2000' AS THE INITIAL ALT. WHEN DEP WAS CONTACTED THE FIRST TIME, NO MENTION OF ALT OR HDG WAS MADE. ON THE SECOND CONTACT, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT, BUT THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT A CLRNC LIMIT. THIS IS A POINT AT WHICH THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS BECAME UNCLR. WHEN THE CTLR CALLED AGAIN, I UNDERSTOOD THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO 3000' BUT NO HDG WAS GIVEN. THIS CLRNC WAS ACKNOWLEDGED, READ BACK AND APPROVED AS READ. THERE WAS NO COM FOR AWHILE, THEN THE CTLR CALLED TO ASK THE PRESENT ALT. I TOLD HIM 2900'. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE ALT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ IN RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST TO REPEAT WHATEVER INFO HE HAD SAID A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE. THE NEW CTLR INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME TYPE OF PLT DEVIATION, BUT DID NOT ELABORATE. FROM THERE I CONTINUED TO TAMIAMI. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS LEADING TO THE CONFUSION WERE AS FOLLOWS: 1) DEPARTING ON IN IFR CLRNC FROM AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD. 2) WHEN DEP WAS CONTACTED, NO ALT OR HDG WAS ISSUED. 3) DURING CLBOUT, THERE WERE NUMEROUS CLOUD BUILDUPS IN ALL QUADRANTS WHICH I WAS TRYING TO AVOID. AT THIS POINT, SAFETY AND KEEPING AS MUCH DISTANCE FROM THE CLOUDS AS POSSIBLE WAS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE. PLT WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH AND MY NUMEROUS OTHER CALLS ON THE SAME FREQ MADE COM WITH THE CTLR VERY DIFFICULT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CALLED TO STATE THAT THE FAA WANTS HIM TO RECEIVE TRNING AND/OR LICENSE SUSPENSION AS THE RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. TOLD RPTR THAT ASRS WILL PROCESS HIS RPT TODAY AND MAIL THE IDENT STRIP NO LATER THAN FRIDAY. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD CONTACTED ZJX ON THE GND AT OCALA AND HAD RECEIVED IFR CLRNC. NO HDG WAS ISSUED BUT HE WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2000'. HE CONTACTED ZJX RADAR CTLR AFTER TKOF. THE CTLR RADAR IDENTED HIS ACFT AND ISSUED A HDG FOR VECTOR. CTLR THEN ISSUED TFC TO RPTR AND STATED THE ACFT WAS AT 3000'. RPTR UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CTLR WANTED HIM TO CLB TO 3000' SINCE HIS REQUESTED ALT WAS 9000'. RPTR STATED HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND STARTED HIS CLB TO 3000'. RPTR STATED THAT HE READ BACK THE CLRNC TO CTLR. ALSO, HE SAID WX WAS A FACTOR AND THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT.

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.