Narrative:

I was the first officer on a flight from houston to lafayette. This flight was not on my or the captain's original pairing. Due to the effect of the airworthiness directive concerning icing conditions, our aircraft was late from the maintenance hangar, and we had to bring the airport facility manual into compliance with the airworthiness directive. Because the flight was already late, the captain told me to complete the airport facility manual revisions and he would take care of all the preflight paper work. Upon completion of the airport facility manual revisions, we completed the required checklists. On initial contact with clearance delivery, I read the squawk code from the transponder and the current ATIS from the speed card. Upon initial contact with departure, I reported out of 2500 ft for 4000 ft. The readback was 'roger.' shortly after leveling at 4000 ft, we were queried as to if we wanted a descent back to 3000 ft, our filed altitude, with the remark I don't know why they cleared you to 4000 ft. We requested 17000 ft and were subsequently cleared there. With the confusion on altitude, I read the pre departure clearance at the bottom, buried in with other information, was written 'expect maintain 3000 ft.' this information was there if read carefully. It would help if the items of altitude, departure control and transponder were listed separately from the rest of the pre departure clearance with nothing else around them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the ATR-42 and -72 for a regional air carrier. His monthly schedule was in a state of chaos due to the retraining required by an airworthiness directive on flying into known icing. The reporter admits that he didn't properly read the pre departure clearance as his captain said that the preflight was complete. The intercontinental 9 SID normally is vectors to 4000 ft. The air carrier had flight planned this flight to stop at 3000 ft due to forecast icing. The reporter knew that 4000 ft was the norm and thought nothing was different until queried by TRACON. The reporter has heard nothing from the FAA on this matter. He thinks that the ATR is a good aircraft in ice as long as one pays attention and keeps the flaps up while holding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A FLT FROM HOUSTON TO LAFAYETTE. THIS FLT WAS NOT ON MY OR THE CAPT'S ORIGINAL PAIRING. DUE TO THE EFFECT OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CONCERNING ICING CONDITIONS, OUR ACFT WAS LATE FROM THE MAINT HANGAR, AND WE HAD TO BRING THE ARPT FACILITY MANUAL INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. BECAUSE THE FLT WAS ALREADY LATE, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO COMPLETE THE ARPT FACILITY MANUAL REVISIONS AND HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL THE PREFLT PAPER WORK. UPON COMPLETION OF THE ARPT FACILITY MANUAL REVISIONS, WE COMPLETED THE REQUIRED CHKLISTS. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH CLRNC DELIVERY, I READ THE SQUAWK CODE FROM THE XPONDER AND THE CURRENT ATIS FROM THE SPD CARD. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP, I RPTED OUT OF 2500 FT FOR 4000 FT. THE READBACK WAS 'ROGER.' SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 4000 FT, WE WERE QUERIED AS TO IF WE WANTED A DSCNT BACK TO 3000 FT, OUR FILED ALT, WITH THE REMARK I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY CLRED YOU TO 4000 FT. WE REQUESTED 17000 FT AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED THERE. WITH THE CONFUSION ON ALT, I READ THE PDC AT THE BOTTOM, BURIED IN WITH OTHER INFO, WAS WRITTEN 'EXPECT MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' THIS INFO WAS THERE IF READ CAREFULLY. IT WOULD HELP IF THE ITEMS OF ALT, DEP CTL AND XPONDER WERE LISTED SEPARATELY FROM THE REST OF THE PDC WITH NOTHING ELSE AROUND THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE ATR-42 AND -72 FOR A REGIONAL ACR. HIS MONTHLY SCHEDULE WAS IN A STATE OF CHAOS DUE TO THE RETRAINING REQUIRED BY AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON FLYING INTO KNOWN ICING. THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HE DIDN'T PROPERLY READ THE PDC AS HIS CAPT SAID THAT THE PREFLT WAS COMPLETE. THE INTERCONTINENTAL 9 SID NORMALLY IS VECTORS TO 4000 FT. THE ACR HAD FLT PLANNED THIS FLT TO STOP AT 3000 FT DUE TO FORECAST ICING. THE RPTR KNEW THAT 4000 FT WAS THE NORM AND THOUGHT NOTHING WAS DIFFERENT UNTIL QUERIED BY TRACON. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. HE THINKS THAT THE ATR IS A GOOD ACFT IN ICE AS LONG AS ONE PAYS ATTN AND KEEPS THE FLAPS UP WHILE HOLDING.

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.