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An air carrier medium large transport aircraft was originally cleared to FL200 with the restriction to maintain VFR to 17500 ft. ATC terminology was such that the crew thought that they were cleared on up to 200 when ATC meant that they should stop at 17500. 3 of the 4 men in the cockpit agree with this premise.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 209847 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199205 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : anc |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 17500 agl bound upper : 19600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zan tower : lga |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zan |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 209847 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 209833 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : exited penetrated airspace |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Leaving anchorage we were given, after requesting, a VFR climb at or below 17500 to maintain FL200. The departure controller sent us over to anc center and he asked us to confirm that we were to maintain VFR at or below 17500! The center controller at that point said to maintain VFR at or below 17500. Apparently he wanted us to stop at 17500 and not FL200! We thought we were still cleared to FL200! I will admit that after we received the clearance we requested (because of local sightseeing) I wasn't listening as close as I should have! The center controller was concerned about VFR at or below 17500 because he asked us about it more than once! We started our climb out of 11500 (temporary altitude) and went through about 18500 and told center we wanted further clearance and he told us that we had gone through our assigned altitude! We told him that we had been cleared to FL200 but he said it was 17500! Out of 4 people in the cockpit 3 of the 4 thought we were cleared to FL200 but the fourth sort of thought it was 17500! The controller told us there was no problem and said that a phone call was not necessary! The clearance was confusing and we felt this could be entrapment!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR MLG ACFT WAS ORIGINALLY CLRED TO FL200 WITH THE RESTRICTION TO MAINTAIN VFR TO 17500 FT. ATC TERMINOLOGY WAS SUCH THAT THE CREW THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE CLRED ON UP TO 200 WHEN ATC MEANT THAT THEY SHOULD STOP AT 17500. 3 OF THE 4 MEN IN THE COCKPIT AGREE WITH THIS PREMISE.
Narrative: LEAVING ANCHORAGE WE WERE GIVEN, AFTER REQUESTING, A VFR CLB AT OR BELOW 17500 TO MAINTAIN FL200. THE DEP CTLR SENT US OVER TO ANC CTR AND HE ASKED US TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE TO MAINTAIN VFR AT OR BELOW 17500! THE CTR CTLR AT THAT POINT SAID TO MAINTAIN VFR AT OR BELOW 17500. APPARENTLY HE WANTED US TO STOP AT 17500 AND NOT FL200! WE THOUGHT WE WERE STILL CLRED TO FL200! I WILL ADMIT THAT AFTER WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC WE REQUESTED (BECAUSE OF LCL SIGHTSEEING) I WASN'T LISTENING AS CLOSE AS I SHOULD HAVE! THE CTR CTLR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT VFR AT OR BELOW 17500 BECAUSE HE ASKED US ABOUT IT MORE THAN ONCE! WE STARTED OUR CLB OUT OF 11500 (TEMPORARY ALT) AND WENT THROUGH ABOUT 18500 AND TOLD CTR WE WANTED FURTHER CLRNC AND HE TOLD US THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT! WE TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL200 BUT HE SAID IT WAS 17500! OUT OF 4 PEOPLE IN THE COCKPIT 3 OF THE 4 THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO FL200 BUT THE FOURTH SORT OF THOUGHT IT WAS 17500! THE CTLR TOLD US THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND SAID THAT A PHONE CALL WAS NOT NECESSARY! THE CLRNC WAS CONFUSING AND WE FELT THIS COULD BE ENTRAPMENT!
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.