Narrative:

First officer copied and read back clearance from roc clearance delivery, including 'maintain 11000 ft' (captain was not in cockpit). On departure (captain flying), first officer told departure control that we were climbing to 11000 ft. Departure control did not question 11000 ft. A few mins after, as we were leveling at 11000 ft, they said it was no problem, but they showed that we should be at 10000 ft. We descended to 10000 ft as instructed. Pre departure clearance would have probably prevented this. Also, air traffic controllers should listen carefully to our radio calls (clearance delivery and departure control in this case) as we are expected to listen to theirs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he doesn't know why he didn't ask the controller to 'confirm or verify 11000 ft, our filed altitude was 10000 ft.' but he didn't. The company has a policy now that the pilots will resolve all ATC ambiguities with the controller instead of within the cockpit. Also the ACARS is going to print out even those clrncs that have been received verbally. A SID with the altitude on the SID would be the reporter's suggestion as an ideal standard. The reporter wanted to know if there was a time restr in which the FAA had to press charges and the analyst did not know other than the time interval for the reporter to submit a NASA report was 10 days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC DELIVERY ASSIGNED THE RPTR THE WRONG ALT. THE RPTR READ BACK THE ASSIGNED ALT. AS THE FLT WAS CLBING THROUGH THE CORRECT ALT, THE TRACON QUESTIONED WHAT THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS AND RETURNED THE PLT TO THE CORRECT ALT.

Narrative: FO COPIED AND READ BACK CLRNC FROM ROC CLRNC DELIVERY, INCLUDING 'MAINTAIN 11000 FT' (CAPT WAS NOT IN COCKPIT). ON DEP (CAPT FLYING), FO TOLD DEP CTL THAT WE WERE CLBING TO 11000 FT. DEP CTL DID NOT QUESTION 11000 FT. A FEW MINS AFTER, AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 11000 FT, THEY SAID IT WAS NO PROB, BUT THEY SHOWED THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 10000 FT. WE DSNDED TO 10000 FT AS INSTRUCTED. PDC WOULD HAVE PROBABLY PREVENTED THIS. ALSO, AIR TFC CTLRS SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY TO OUR RADIO CALLS (CLRNC DELIVERY AND DEP CTL IN THIS CASE) AS WE ARE EXPECTED TO LISTEN TO THEIRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY HE DIDN'T ASK THE CTLR TO 'CONFIRM OR VERIFY 11000 FT, OUR FILED ALT WAS 10000 FT.' BUT HE DIDN'T. THE COMPANY HAS A POLICY NOW THAT THE PLTS WILL RESOLVE ALL ATC AMBIGUITIES WITH THE CTLR INSTEAD OF WITHIN THE COCKPIT. ALSO THE ACARS IS GOING TO PRINT OUT EVEN THOSE CLRNCS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED VERBALLY. A SID WITH THE ALT ON THE SID WOULD BE THE RPTR'S SUGGESTION AS AN IDEAL STANDARD. THE RPTR WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A TIME RESTR IN WHICH THE FAA HAD TO PRESS CHARGES AND THE ANALYST DID NOT KNOW OTHER THAN THE TIME INTERVAL FOR THE RPTR TO SUBMIT A NASA RPT WAS 10 DAYS.

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.