Air carrier X climbed to wrong altitude.

Attributes
ACN	307138
Time
Date	199506
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	307138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After takeoff from dfw, we flew assigned heading 240 degree and altitude 2000 ft MSL. After contacting departure control we were given 'fly heading 230 degrees, climb and maintain 3000 ft, traffic at 2 O'clock descending to 4000 ft.' once clear of traffic departure said 'traffic no factor, climb and maintain 12000 ft and fly heading 170 degree.' we read back 'climb and maintain 12 -- 12000 ft, fly heading 170 degrees,' then set the altitude selector and confirmed the altitude with each other. After leveling at 12000 ft departure said 'are you level at 11000 ft,' we replied 'no, you gave us 12000 ft,' he replied, 'no, I gave you 11000 ft, we never give you 12000 ft out of here,' we replied 'we read back 12000 ft,' he replied 'I'm not worried about what you read back, I gave you 11000 ft.' we replied 'do you want us to stay at 12000 ft or descend to 11000 ft,' he said 'I want you at 11000 ft, descend and maintain 11000 ft.' looking back at the situation, when we were assigned 12000 ft we thought that 12000 ft was unusual for a southwest departure. (Normal for a southwest departure would be 11000 ft, whereas 12000 ft would be normal for a northeast departure). We should have queried the controller about the assigned altitude. On the other hand, the controller was very defensive when we said we were given 12000 ft. When we said 'we read back 12000 ft,' his attitude was such that our readback meant nothing to him. We feel the readback is confirmation for both parties. Finally, we had to query the controller as to whether he wanted us to remain at 12000 ft or descend to 11000 ft. He made no effort to correct the mistake without being prompted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLBED TO WRONG ALT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM DFW, WE FLEW ASSIGNED HDG 240 DEG AND ALT 2000 FT MSL. AFTER CONTACTING DEP CTL WE WERE GIVEN 'FLY HDG 230 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT, TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK DSNDING TO 4000 FT.' ONCE CLR OF TFC DEP SAID 'TFC NO FACTOR, CLB AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT AND FLY HDG 170 DEG.' WE READ BACK 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 12 -- 12000 FT, FLY HDG 170 DEGS,' THEN SET THE ALT SELECTOR AND CONFIRMED THE ALT WITH EACH OTHER. AFTER LEVELING AT 12000 FT DEP SAID 'ARE YOU LEVEL AT 11000 FT,' WE REPLIED 'NO, YOU GAVE US 12000 FT,' HE REPLIED, 'NO, I GAVE YOU 11000 FT, WE NEVER GIVE YOU 12000 FT OUT OF HERE,' WE REPLIED 'WE READ BACK 12000 FT,' HE REPLIED 'I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT YOU READ BACK, I GAVE YOU 11000 FT.' WE REPLIED 'DO YOU WANT US TO STAY AT 12000 FT OR DSND TO 11000 FT,' HE SAID 'I WANT YOU AT 11000 FT, DSND AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT.' LOOKING BACK AT THE SIT, WHEN WE WERE ASSIGNED 12000 FT WE THOUGHT THAT 12000 FT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A SW DEP. (NORMAL FOR A SW DEP WOULD BE 11000 FT, WHEREAS 12000 FT WOULD BE NORMAL FOR A NE DEP). WE SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THE ASSIGNED ALT. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CTLR WAS VERY DEFENSIVE WHEN WE SAID WE WERE GIVEN 12000 FT. WHEN WE SAID 'WE READ BACK 12000 FT,' HIS ATTITUDE WAS SUCH THAT OUR READBACK MEANT NOTHING TO HIM. WE FEEL THE READBACK IS CONFIRMATION FOR BOTH PARTIES. FINALLY, WE HAD TO QUERY THE CTLR AS TO WHETHER HE WANTED US TO REMAIN AT 12000 FT OR DSND TO 11000 FT. HE MADE NO EFFORT TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE WITHOUT BEING PROMPTED.

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.