An air carrier MD80 flight crew climbed above their assigned altitude. No apparent conflict.

Attributes
ACN	391370
Time
Date	199801
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	391370
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	391369
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

First officer flying. Captain not flying and working radios. Denver departure control cleared us to what we thought was 15000 ft and captain read back 15000 ft. Passing 14000 ft the controller asked us our altitude and the captain replied passing 14000 ft for 15000 ft. He then said we had been cleared to 12000 ft, but to continued climb to FL210 and expedite through 16000 ft. Controller stated that there had been no conflicts with other traffic and it was no problem as far as he was concerned. The first officer also heard our clearance to 15000 ft and standard altimeter procedures had been used. Supplemental information from acn 391369: denver departure control cleared us to what I thought was 15000 ft passing 14000 ft controller asked our altitude and I replied 14000 ft for 15000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC CLBED ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT. NO APPARENT CONFLICT.

Narrative: FO FLYING. CAPT NOT FLYING AND WORKING RADIOS. DENVER DEP CTL CLRED US TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS 15000 FT AND CAPT READ BACK 15000 FT. PASSING 14000 FT THE CTLR ASKED US OUR ALT AND THE CAPT REPLIED PASSING 14000 FT FOR 15000 FT. HE THEN SAID WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 12000 FT, BUT TO CONTINUED CLB TO FL210 AND EXPEDITE THROUGH 16000 FT. CTLR STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER TFC AND IT WAS NO PROB AS FAR AS HE WAS CONCERNED. THE FO ALSO HEARD OUR CLRNC TO 15000 FT AND STANDARD ALTIMETER PROCS HAD BEEN USED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 391369: DENVER DEP CTL CLRED US TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 15000 FT PASSING 14000 FT CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND I REPLIED 14000 FT FOR 15000 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.