Narrative:

After takeoff from las americas airport, our en route clearance was to climb to FL190 and to proceed direct to mella intersection via GPS. After 5-10 mins later santo domingo ATC controller told us that the heading we had would not take us to mella directly and to turn heading 110 degrees. We triple checked our position with VOR/RMI, visually and double checked our GPS/FMS and indeed we were correct (later when we were handed off to san juan puerto rico airspace we confirmed our position to be 3 mi off -- our GPS showed 2.5 mi off). When climbing through 16200 ft the santo domingo ATC controller said that our clearance was to maintain 16000 ft due to traffic opposite direction (he was indicating 16500 ft on his scope). I told him immediately that we were then leveling off at 16000 ft. As far as we remember we never received and we never acknowledged such clearance. He was very busy handling other traffic. We were never told about traffic until the controller told us to maintain 16000 ft, when we were at 16200 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MDT FLC WERE TOLD TO LEVEL AT 16000 FT AS THEY CLBED THROUGH 16200 FT FOR 19000 FT. THE CTLR SAID THAT THEIR CLRNC LIMIT WAS 16000 FT AND THE FLC DISPUTES THIS. THE CTLR ALSO, APPARENTLY INCORRECTLY, SHOWED THEM OFF COURSE.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM LAS AMERICAS ARPT, OUR ENRTE CLRNC WAS TO CLB TO FL190 AND TO PROCEED DIRECT TO MELLA INTXN VIA GPS. AFTER 5-10 MINS LATER SANTO DOMINGO ATC CTLR TOLD US THAT THE HEADING WE HAD WOULD NOT TAKE US TO MELLA DIRECTLY AND TO TURN HDG 110 DEGS. WE TRIPLE CHKED OUR POS WITH VOR/RMI, VISUALLY AND DOUBLE CHKED OUR GPS/FMS AND INDEED WE WERE CORRECT (LATER WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO AIRSPACE WE CONFIRMED OUR POS TO BE 3 MI OFF -- OUR GPS SHOWED 2.5 MI OFF). WHEN CLBING THROUGH 16200 FT THE SANTO DOMINGO ATC CTLR SAID THAT OUR CLRNC WAS TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT DUE TO TFC OPPOSITE DIRECTION (HE WAS INDICATING 16500 FT ON HIS SCOPE). I TOLD HIM IMMEDIATELY THAT WE WERE THEN LEVELING OFF AT 16000 FT. AS FAR AS WE REMEMBER WE NEVER RECEIVED AND WE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED SUCH CLRNC. HE WAS VERY BUSY HANDLING OTHER TFC. WE WERE NEVER TOLD ABOUT TFC UNTIL THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT, WHEN WE WERE AT 16200 FT.

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.