Narrative:

Flight departed runway 22R, ewr, flying the ewr 6 SID. I was the first officer, PF, climbed to 5000 ft on a heading of 220 degrees. The captain, PNF, called departure control on 119.2 MHZ, no answer. Switched back to tower to question the frequency and they told us departure control was 128.55 MHZ. The captain then called on 128.55 MHZ and said we were at 5000 ft, heading 220 degrees. The controller then said the proper altitude was 2500 ft and then questioned the information on our pre departure clearance. He then gave us a right turn to 040 degrees (normal for that departure). Upon re-examination of our barely readable pre departure clearance, there it was in faint print -- maintain 2500 ft, departure control 128.55 MHZ. He was right. We were wrong. When I received the pre departure clearance at the gate prior to push, I did not closely examine the poorly printed obvious pertinent information. The barely readable paperwork is a common occurrence at our gates at ewr. Pre departure clearance's are treated as just another nuisance by gate agents who are harried to get the aircraft loaded and the hell off the gate. We routinely receive the pre departure clearance just about 5 mins or less prior to door closing when several other things need attention. Then I call ewr clearance delivery to confirm squawk code and ATIS. If there is a change to the routine ewr 6 SID altitude of 5000 ft, usually the controllers state the exception to the SID by announcing 'exception to the SID, 2500 ft.' not so this time, and there lies the fault because I did not catch it. So, now I have an orange felt tip pen and mark over pertinent information so as not to make the same mistake again. The captain and I discussed this event and we have devised a method and check so that this mistake is not made again. He and I work very well together and I go out of my way to back him up in all cases. Perhaps he may have expected that my usual vigilance to detail would suffice to effect a correct operation. Therefore, I have proved again that there is no substitute for extra vigilance to detail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC INTERP OF PDC LEADS THEM INTO A HDG TRACK POS ALTDEV. ALT OVERSHOT IN CLB. A CASE OF CLRNC INTERP CLRNC EXPECTED.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED RWY 22R, EWR, FLYING THE EWR 6 SID. I WAS THE FO, PF, CLBED TO 5000 FT ON A HDG OF 220 DEGS. THE CAPT, PNF, CALLED DEP CTL ON 119.2 MHZ, NO ANSWER. SWITCHED BACK TO TWR TO QUESTION THE FREQ AND THEY TOLD US DEP CTL WAS 128.55 MHZ. THE CAPT THEN CALLED ON 128.55 MHZ AND SAID WE WERE AT 5000 FT, HDG 220 DEGS. THE CTLR THEN SAID THE PROPER ALT WAS 2500 FT AND THEN QUESTIONED THE INFO ON OUR PDC. HE THEN GAVE US A R TURN TO 040 DEGS (NORMAL FOR THAT DEP). UPON RE-EXAMINATION OF OUR BARELY READABLE PDC, THERE IT WAS IN FAINT PRINT -- MAINTAIN 2500 FT, DEP CTL 128.55 MHZ. HE WAS RIGHT. WE WERE WRONG. WHEN I RECEIVED THE PDC AT THE GATE PRIOR TO PUSH, I DID NOT CLOSELY EXAMINE THE POORLY PRINTED OBVIOUS PERTINENT INFO. THE BARELY READABLE PAPERWORK IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT OUR GATES AT EWR. PDC'S ARE TREATED AS JUST ANOTHER NUISANCE BY GATE AGENTS WHO ARE HARRIED TO GET THE ACFT LOADED AND THE HELL OFF THE GATE. WE ROUTINELY RECEIVE THE PDC JUST ABOUT 5 MINS OR LESS PRIOR TO DOOR CLOSING WHEN SEVERAL OTHER THINGS NEED ATTN. THEN I CALL EWR CLRNC DELIVERY TO CONFIRM SQUAWK CODE AND ATIS. IF THERE IS A CHANGE TO THE ROUTINE EWR 6 SID ALT OF 5000 FT, USUALLY THE CTLRS STATE THE EXCEPTION TO THE SID BY ANNOUNCING 'EXCEPTION TO THE SID, 2500 FT.' NOT SO THIS TIME, AND THERE LIES THE FAULT BECAUSE I DID NOT CATCH IT. SO, NOW I HAVE AN ORANGE FELT TIP PEN AND MARK OVER PERTINENT INFO SO AS NOT TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THIS EVENT AND WE HAVE DEVISED A METHOD AND CHK SO THAT THIS MISTAKE IS NOT MADE AGAIN. HE AND I WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER AND I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO BACK HIM UP IN ALL CASES. PERHAPS HE MAY HAVE EXPECTED THAT MY USUAL VIGILANCE TO DETAIL WOULD SUFFICE TO EFFECT A CORRECT OP. THEREFORE, I HAVE PROVED AGAIN THAT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXTRA VIGILANCE TO DETAIL.

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.