Narrative:

Departing ewr on the ewr 6 SID, we were turning to a heading of 220 degrees, and new york departure cleared us to 4000 ft, which is nonstandard. I was calling for flaps up, slats retract, after takeoff checklist, and I missed new york's next radio call. But the first officer read back 300 degree heading, 10000 ft, and didn't get a correction, so I began turning and climbing. A TCASII contact then showed up on our screen directly ahead and at 6000 ft, just above us. I asked the first officer to verify our heading assignment, and new york approach verified 300 degrees. He was very busy, and urgently giving instructions to another aircraft. The TCASII contact went orange, and passed 1 mi off to our right (north), and no RA direction was given (no climb or descent). New york approach then gave us a turn towards lga VOR and handed us off to a new frequency. The new controller then gave us a climb to 8000 ft, but we were already at 8500 ft and climbing towards 10000 ft. When we told him we were above 8000 ft already, he cleared us to 10000 ft, but it made me wonder if we had correctly received a climb clearance to 10000 ft in the first place. In busy airport environments, there's a fine line between accepting a little confusion and keeping radio xmissions down to a minimum, and accepting an incorrect clearance. We may have erred on the confused side of the line today.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR MLG MISSES NEW CLRNC ISSUED AS HE IS REQUESTING AFTER TKOF CHKLIST INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO ATC. WITHOUT CLRNC CONFIRMATION HE CLBS TO NEW ALT. DEP CTLR NOW BUSY VECTORING OTHER ACFT TO PREVENT LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: DEPARTING EWR ON THE EWR 6 SID, WE WERE TURNING TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS, AND NEW YORK DEP CLRED US TO 4000 FT, WHICH IS NONSTANDARD. I WAS CALLING FOR FLAPS UP, SLATS RETRACT, AFTER TKOF CHKLIST, AND I MISSED NEW YORK'S NEXT RADIO CALL. BUT THE FO READ BACK 300 DEG HDG, 10000 FT, AND DIDN'T GET A CORRECTION, SO I BEGAN TURNING AND CLBING. A TCASII CONTACT THEN SHOWED UP ON OUR SCREEN DIRECTLY AHEAD AND AT 6000 FT, JUST ABOVE US. I ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY OUR HDG ASSIGNMENT, AND NEW YORK APCH VERIFIED 300 DEGS. HE WAS VERY BUSY, AND URGENTLY GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO ANOTHER ACFT. THE TCASII CONTACT WENT ORANGE, AND PASSED 1 MI OFF TO OUR R (N), AND NO RA DIRECTION WAS GIVEN (NO CLB OR DSCNT). NEW YORK APCH THEN GAVE US A TURN TOWARDS LGA VOR AND HANDED US OFF TO A NEW FREQ. THE NEW CTLR THEN GAVE US A CLB TO 8000 FT, BUT WE WERE ALREADY AT 8500 FT AND CLBING TOWARDS 10000 FT. WHEN WE TOLD HIM WE WERE ABOVE 8000 FT ALREADY, HE CLRED US TO 10000 FT, BUT IT MADE ME WONDER IF WE HAD CORRECTLY RECEIVED A CLB CLRNC TO 10000 FT IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN BUSY ARPT ENVIRONMENTS, THERE'S A FINE LINE BTWN ACCEPTING A LITTLE CONFUSION AND KEEPING RADIO XMISSIONS DOWN TO A MINIMUM, AND ACCEPTING AN INCORRECT CLRNC. WE MAY HAVE ERRED ON THE CONFUSED SIDE OF THE LINE TODAY.

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.