Narrative:

Takeoff from dca occurred uneventfully from runway 36, mount vernon departure. Approximately 9-10 dca DME, ATC issued a clearance to turn right to heading 130 degrees and to climb. The first officer was flying the aircraft. At the time of receiving the clearance from ATC, I was discussing the requirement to maintain a ground track over the potomac river until 10 DME from the dca VOR. The clearance I repeated to ATC was a 'right turn to heading 130 degrees and climb to 13000 ft MSL.' upon passing 12000 ft, ATC instructed us to maintain 12000 ft as our original clearance was to 10000 ft MSL. Upon repeating the clearance we leveled at 12000 ft MSL. I then indicated that I recalled a repeated readback of 'heading of 130 degrees and climb to and maintain 13000 ft MSL.' I also indicated I read back 13000 ft MSL, but received no readback or confirmation of the original clearance. I now believe that the distraction of discussing the visual requirement to track 'up the river' and my failure to query the controller regarding our clearance, led to the confusion regarding our altitude clearance limit. In hindsight, I believe that as PIC I should have flown the departure and not relied upon, or assumed that the first officer had significant experience flying out of dca. We had briefly discussed recent operating experience out of airports contained on this particular trip. Secondly, cruise altitude would have probably been more appropriate to have discussed the mount vernon visual departure from runway 36. Lastly, I will be more aggressive in querying ATC regarding clrncs especially pertaining to altitude limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT. THE CAPT WAS BUSY GIVING HIS FO INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT THE DEP WHEN HE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR'S CLRNC AND ORDERED A CLB. THE CTLR INTERVENED AND RECLRED THE ACR.

Narrative: TKOF FROM DCA OCCURRED UNEVENTFULLY FROM RWY 36, MOUNT VERNON DEP. APPROX 9-10 DCA DME, ATC ISSUED A CLRNC TO TURN R TO HDG 130 DEGS AND TO CLB. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AT THE TIME OF RECEIVING THE CLRNC FROM ATC, I WAS DISCUSSING THE REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN A GND TRACK OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER UNTIL 10 DME FROM THE DCA VOR. THE CLRNC I REPEATED TO ATC WAS A 'R TURN TO HDG 130 DEGS AND CLB TO 13000 FT MSL.' UPON PASSING 12000 FT, ATC INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT AS OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS TO 10000 FT MSL. UPON REPEATING THE CLRNC WE LEVELED AT 12000 FT MSL. I THEN INDICATED THAT I RECALLED A REPEATED READBACK OF 'HDG OF 130 DEGS AND CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 13000 FT MSL.' I ALSO INDICATED I READ BACK 13000 FT MSL, BUT RECEIVED NO READBACK OR CONFIRMATION OF THE ORIGINAL CLRNC. I NOW BELIEVE THAT THE DISTR OF DISCUSSING THE VISUAL REQUIREMENT TO TRACK 'UP THE RIVER' AND MY FAILURE TO QUERY THE CTLR REGARDING OUR CLRNC, LED TO THE CONFUSION REGARDING OUR ALT CLRNC LIMIT. IN HINDSIGHT, I BELIEVE THAT AS PIC I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE DEP AND NOT RELIED UPON, OR ASSUMED THAT THE FO HAD SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE FLYING OUT OF DCA. WE HAD BRIEFLY DISCUSSED RECENT OPERATING EXPERIENCE OUT OF ARPTS CONTAINED ON THIS PARTICULAR TRIP. SECONDLY, CRUISE ALT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE DISCUSSED THE MOUNT VERNON VISUAL DEP FROM RWY 36. LASTLY, I WILL BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN QUERYING ATC REGARDING CLRNCS ESPECIALLY PERTAINING TO ALT LIMITS.

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.