An air carrier crew misread its pre departure clearance and zoomed through its assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	267143
Time
Date	199403
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	267143
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

The captain and myself both misread the pre departure clearance. After takeoff, we checked in with departure and reported out of 7500 ft climbing to 14000 ft, not 10000 ft as instructed in the pre departure clearance. This fact was missed by the departure controller. At about 11300 ft he questioned us, and told us to maintain 11000 ft, which we did. I think the captain and I both made the same mistake because we were only going to cos and expected a lower en route altitude. Neither of us had been to den for over a yr, and were not accustomed to the departure. We saw 14000 ft first on the pre departure clearance and set that in the altitude window. We should have read the entire pre departure clearance to see the denver 1 departure instructions, but we just skipped to the departure frequency and squawk. Normally this does not cause a problem because the final altitude, although first, is much different than the departure altitude and one reads further to find the departure altitude. Perhaps if the final altitude is listed last this might have prevented our sloppy and unprofessional reading of the pre departure clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW MISREAD ITS PDC AND ZOOMED THROUGH ITS ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND MYSELF BOTH MISREAD THE PDC. AFTER TKOF, WE CHKED IN WITH DEP AND RPTED OUT OF 7500 FT CLBING TO 14000 FT, NOT 10000 FT AS INSTRUCTED IN THE PDC. THIS FACT WAS MISSED BY THE DEP CTLR. AT ABOUT 11300 FT HE QUESTIONED US, AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT, WHICH WE DID. I THINK THE CAPT AND I BOTH MADE THE SAME MISTAKE BECAUSE WE WERE ONLY GOING TO COS AND EXPECTED A LOWER ENRTE ALT. NEITHER OF US HAD BEEN TO DEN FOR OVER A YR, AND WERE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO THE DEP. WE SAW 14000 FT FIRST ON THE PDC AND SET THAT IN THE ALT WINDOW. WE SHOULD HAVE READ THE ENTIRE PDC TO SEE THE DENVER 1 DEP INSTRUCTIONS, BUT WE JUST SKIPPED TO THE DEP FREQ AND SQUAWK. NORMALLY THIS DOES NOT CAUSE A PROB BECAUSE THE FINAL ALT, ALTHOUGH FIRST, IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE DEP ALT AND ONE READS FURTHER TO FIND THE DEP ALT. PERHAPS IF THE FINAL ALT IS LISTED LAST THIS MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED OUR SLOPPY AND UNPROFESSIONAL READING OF THE PDC.

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.