Altitude bust. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	252318
Time
Date	199309
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	252318
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Controller cleared us from 4000 ft to 7000 ft and gave us traffic at 1:30 - 2 O'clock. I read back altitude and set it in 'altitude window.' controller later said he was giving us the altitude of the passing traffic and we were cleared to 6000 ft, not 7000 ft. I saw the traffic visually and on TCASII when it was 2000 ft above us and at our 3 O'clock position and moving away from us. The controller cleared us to 11000 ft and gave us his phone number. We called about 90 mins later to resolve the confusion. He said there was no conflict. The frequency was very busy because of numerous airplanes in that sector. My readback was not disputed so we climbed to 7000 ft as cleared. My suggestion is to have fewer operations or fewer xmissions so ATC and controled airplanes can respond to clrncs and readbacks instead of going on to next airplane and thinking they heard the response they expected. TCASII is great because it lets the pilots see where the traffic is before executing a clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT BUST.

Narrative: CTLR CLRED US FROM 4000 FT TO 7000 FT AND GAVE US TFC AT 1:30 - 2 O'CLOCK. I READ BACK ALT AND SET IT IN 'ALT WINDOW.' CTLR LATER SAID HE WAS GIVING US THE ALT OF THE PASSING TFC AND WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT, NOT 7000 FT. I SAW THE TFC VISUALLY AND ON TCASII WHEN IT WAS 2000 FT ABOVE US AND AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS AND MOVING AWAY FROM US. THE CTLR CLRED US TO 11000 FT AND GAVE US HIS PHONE NUMBER. WE CALLED ABOUT 90 MINS LATER TO RESOLVE THE CONFUSION. HE SAID THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS AIRPLANES IN THAT SECTOR. MY READBACK WAS NOT DISPUTED SO WE CLBED TO 7000 FT AS CLRED. MY SUGGESTION IS TO HAVE FEWER OPS OR FEWER XMISSIONS SO ATC AND CTLED AIRPLANES CAN RESPOND TO CLRNCS AND READBACKS INSTEAD OF GOING ON TO NEXT AIRPLANE AND THINKING THEY HEARD THE RESPONSE THEY EXPECTED. TCASII IS GREAT BECAUSE IT LETS THE PLTS SEE WHERE THE TFC IS BEFORE EXECUTING A CLRNC.

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.