Narrative:

I was flying as first officer on an sa-227 with a new captain who had just completed her initial operating experience. She received the clearance while I was boarding the passenger. Engine start and takeoff were uneventful as we completed our checklists. Upon reaching the departure end of runway 7 at tol, we contacted the tower. We were issued takeoff clearance and the controller requested a quick right turn to 230 degrees for traffic. This would expedite our way on course to ind. I read back the clearance, 'air carrier X cleared for takeoff runway 7L, correction right, turn 230.' we took off and made the right turn as requested. The controller thanked us and handed us off to departure. Due to the required turn we were climbing at best rate, in excess of 2000 FPM. We checked in with the departure controller and told him we were climbing to 5000 ft. At approximately 3000 MSL we entered a broken layer of cumulus clouds. The controller immediately gave us headings for traffic and called it out to us. We told him we were IMC. A few moments later, he asked for best rate of climb, as conflicting traffic was at 4000 ft. We quickly climbed through 4000 ft and leveled at 5000 ft. The controller then asked our assigned altitude we received. I checked with the captain and she verified our initial climb clearance she received from ground as 5000 ft and I replied to the controller 5000 ft. He then asked us to call the facility when we arrived in ind. I could tell by his voice we must have been fairly close to the traffic because he seemed slightly shaken. We called, and apparently, when we received our takeoff clearance, we were given 3000 ft as our initial altitude. Neither myself or the captain heard the clearance or acknowledged it upon receiving our takeoff clearance. Apparently, the controller misunderstood my readback of the takeoff clearance and did not correct my readback. My only feeling that this could be corrected is for pilots to read clearance back completely with the flight number, and if incorrect, it must be corrected, otherwise the built-in safeguards for issuing and receiving clrncs break down and can lead to possible incidents or accidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT DEPARTS INTO IMC. DEP CTLR VECTORS FOR TFC. QUESTIONS CLRED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS FO ON AN SA-227 WITH A NEW CAPT WHO HAD JUST COMPLETED HER INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE. SHE RECEIVED THE CLRNC WHILE I WAS BOARDING THE PAX. ENG START AND TKOF WERE UNEVENTFUL AS WE COMPLETED OUR CHKLISTS. UPON REACHING THE DEP END OF RWY 7 AT TOL, WE CONTACTED THE TWR. WE WERE ISSUED TKOF CLRNC AND THE CTLR REQUESTED A QUICK R TURN TO 230 DEGS FOR TFC. THIS WOULD EXPEDITE OUR WAY ON COURSE TO IND. I READ BACK THE CLRNC, 'ACR X CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 7L, CORRECTION R, TURN 230.' WE TOOK OFF AND MADE THE R TURN AS REQUESTED. THE CTLR THANKED US AND HANDED US OFF TO DEP. DUE TO THE REQUIRED TURN WE WERE CLBING AT BEST RATE, IN EXCESS OF 2000 FPM. WE CHKED IN WITH THE DEP CTLR AND TOLD HIM WE WERE CLBING TO 5000 FT. AT APPROX 3000 MSL WE ENTERED A BROKEN LAYER OF CUMULUS CLOUDS. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY GAVE US HDGS FOR TFC AND CALLED IT OUT TO US. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE IMC. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, HE ASKED FOR BEST RATE OF CLB, AS CONFLICTING TFC WAS AT 4000 FT. WE QUICKLY CLBED THROUGH 4000 FT AND LEVELED AT 5000 FT. THE CTLR THEN ASKED OUR ASSIGNED ALT WE RECEIVED. I CHKED WITH THE CAPT AND SHE VERIFIED OUR INITIAL CLB CLRNC SHE RECEIVED FROM GND AS 5000 FT AND I REPLIED TO THE CTLR 5000 FT. HE THEN ASKED US TO CALL THE FACILITY WHEN WE ARRIVED IN IND. I COULD TELL BY HIS VOICE WE MUST HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE TFC BECAUSE HE SEEMED SLIGHTLY SHAKEN. WE CALLED, AND APPARENTLY, WHEN WE RECEIVED OUR TKOF CLRNC, WE WERE GIVEN 3000 FT AS OUR INITIAL ALT. NEITHER MYSELF OR THE CAPT HEARD THE CLRNC OR ACKNOWLEDGED IT UPON RECEIVING OUR TKOF CLRNC. APPARENTLY, THE CTLR MISUNDERSTOOD MY READBACK OF THE TKOF CLRNC AND DID NOT CORRECT MY READBACK. MY ONLY FEELING THAT THIS COULD BE CORRECTED IS FOR PLTS TO READ CLRNC BACK COMPLETELY WITH THE FLT NUMBER, AND IF INCORRECT, IT MUST BE CORRECTED, OTHERWISE THE BUILT-IN SAFEGUARDS FOR ISSUING AND RECEIVING CLRNCS BREAK DOWN AND CAN LEAD TO POSSIBLE INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS.

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.