Narrative:

Your confusion regarding what our clearance was was shared by our crew on the departure out of lgw. I certainly recognize that it is always the captain's responsibility to sort out any confusion regarding a clearance, but in light of the confusing ATC handling out of lgw, your and our confusion is justified under the present circumstances. I would recommend that we situation down with lgw ATC and talk about this problem before there is a serious altitude violation. We need preventive action here, not simply a note to me that a violation did not occur. I fly a lot out of lgw and lhr and would be glad to help in such dialogue if you deem appropriate. I can almost say with certainty that there will be further problems on this departure if no preventive action is taken. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter clarified what the clearance confusion involved. His flight crew was given a clearance after departure to climb to 6000 ft. Prior to reaching 6000 ft there is an intermediate restr of 3000 ft, which the flight crew intended to leveloff at until they received the clearance of climb to 6000 ft. They continued their climb right to 6000 ft without stopping at 3000 ft. The departure controller contacted them for their altitude when they went above 3000 ft. Flight crew responded they were out of 3000 ft, climbing to 6000 ft. Departure controller wanted to know why they left 3000 ft, to which they replied, 'you cleared us to 6000 ft.' departure stated they should have stayed at 3000 ft until passing a certain waypoint. This reporter took this reported event to his air carrier safety representatives. They in turn talked with lgw departure and found that when an aircraft is cleared to a higher altitude there are no restrs to climb unless ATC reestablishes those restrs. So now, the clearance to climb is very much like what it reads and sounds like in the united states. Don't climb until cleared for the climb and leveloff at restr altitudes only when issued as restr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION OVER THE LIMITATIONS OF A CLB CLRNC IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: YOUR CONFUSION REGARDING WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS WAS SHARED BY OUR CREW ON THE DEP OUT OF LGW. I CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS ALWAYS THE CAPT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SORT OUT ANY CONFUSION REGARDING A CLRNC, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE CONFUSING ATC HANDLING OUT OF LGW, YOUR AND OUR CONFUSION IS JUSTIFIED UNDER THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE SIT DOWN WITH LGW ATC AND TALK ABOUT THIS PROB BEFORE THERE IS A SERIOUS ALT VIOLATION. WE NEED PREVENTIVE ACTION HERE, NOT SIMPLY A NOTE TO ME THAT A VIOLATION DID NOT OCCUR. I FLY A LOT OUT OF LGW AND LHR AND WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP IN SUCH DIALOGUE IF YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE. I CAN ALMOST SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT THERE WILL BE FURTHER PROBS ON THIS DEP IF NO PREVENTIVE ACTION IS TAKEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CLARIFIED WHAT THE CLRNC CONFUSION INVOLVED. HIS FLC WAS GIVEN A CLRNC AFTER DEP TO CLB TO 6000 FT. PRIOR TO REACHING 6000 FT THERE IS AN INTERMEDIATE RESTR OF 3000 FT, WHICH THE FLC INTENDED TO LEVELOFF AT UNTIL THEY RECEIVED THE CLRNC OF CLB TO 6000 FT. THEY CONTINUED THEIR CLB RIGHT TO 6000 FT WITHOUT STOPPING AT 3000 FT. THE DEP CTLR CONTACTED THEM FOR THEIR ALT WHEN THEY WENT ABOVE 3000 FT. FLC RESPONDED THEY WERE OUT OF 3000 FT, CLBING TO 6000 FT. DEP CTLR WANTED TO KNOW WHY THEY LEFT 3000 FT, TO WHICH THEY REPLIED, 'YOU CLRED US TO 6000 FT.' DEP STATED THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED AT 3000 FT UNTIL PASSING A CERTAIN WAYPOINT. THIS RPTR TOOK THIS RPTED EVENT TO HIS ACR SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES. THEY IN TURN TALKED WITH LGW DEP AND FOUND THAT WHEN AN ACFT IS CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT THERE ARE NO RESTRS TO CLB UNLESS ATC REESTABLISHES THOSE RESTRS. SO NOW, THE CLRNC TO CLB IS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT IT READS AND SOUNDS LIKE IN THE UNITED STATES. DON'T CLB UNTIL CLRED FOR THE CLB AND LEVELOFF AT RESTR ALTS ONLY WHEN ISSUED AS RESTR.

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.