Narrative:

An event occurred on apr/xa/98, XA40 local time. During takeoff as a PF, I ascended to a wrong altitude. After acquiring clearance from iad, I pointed out to PNF that clearance didn't assign an altitude. He had a SID at that moment. He told me that it was 5000 ft. This altitude I set in the altitude alert box. Also, I gave a clearance frequency PNF should switch to after takeoff. I write down a proper one, but put on radio a wrong one. Also I failed to look on SID myself, just accepting what PNF told me. After tower switched us to departure, PNF wasn't able to establish communication. My first thought was, 'we have a radio failure,' because we tried both radios. Then, when PNF started checking SID, I looked on my notes, and discovered that we had a wrong frequency. By that time, I reached 5000 ft. After establishing radio communication, we were advised to write down a telephone number and to contact a manager on duty. The reason: a possible pilot deviation. A main reason for this event was a lack of communication, and failure of PF to get familiar with SID properly. During this event, we were assigned the capital 4 departure (iad). The other reason also, in my belief, is the low level of trust of PNF for PF, because english is my second language. He was probably not completely sure if I understood clearance properly, which happened in the past when I was forced to verify names of vors and intxns, because I wasn't able to write unfamiliar names fast enough. Corrective action would be a better method of CRM at this stage of the flight, as well as the necessity to completely familiarize myself with the SID, STAR, and other material personally. Also, to ask the controller to slow down when they issue a clearance. Otherwise, a pilot like myself is then forced to ask over again the clearance in order to be safe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGH WINGED ATX CARGO BUSTS ITS ALT ON DEP FROM IAD. THE FO HAD DIALED IN THE WRONG FREQ FOR DEP CTL AND THE CAPT HAD GIVEN HIM THE WRONG ALT FOR THE STAR.

Narrative: AN EVENT OCCURRED ON APR/XA/98, XA40 LCL TIME. DURING TKOF AS A PF, I ASCENDED TO A WRONG ALT. AFTER ACQUIRING CLRNC FROM IAD, I POINTED OUT TO PNF THAT CLRNC DIDN'T ASSIGN AN ALT. HE HAD A SID AT THAT MOMENT. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS 5000 FT. THIS ALT I SET IN THE ALT ALERT BOX. ALSO, I GAVE A CLRNC FREQ PNF SHOULD SWITCH TO AFTER TKOF. I WRITE DOWN A PROPER ONE, BUT PUT ON RADIO A WRONG ONE. ALSO I FAILED TO LOOK ON SID MYSELF, JUST ACCEPTING WHAT PNF TOLD ME. AFTER TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP, PNF WASN'T ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, 'WE HAVE A RADIO FAILURE,' BECAUSE WE TRIED BOTH RADIOS. THEN, WHEN PNF STARTED CHKING SID, I LOOKED ON MY NOTES, AND DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD A WRONG FREQ. BY THAT TIME, I REACHED 5000 FT. AFTER ESTABLISHING RADIO COM, WE WERE ADVISED TO WRITE DOWN A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND TO CONTACT A MGR ON DUTY. THE REASON: A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. A MAIN REASON FOR THIS EVENT WAS A LACK OF COM, AND FAILURE OF PF TO GET FAMILIAR WITH SID PROPERLY. DURING THIS EVENT, WE WERE ASSIGNED THE CAPITAL 4 DEP (IAD). THE OTHER REASON ALSO, IN MY BELIEF, IS THE LOW LEVEL OF TRUST OF PNF FOR PF, BECAUSE ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE. HE WAS PROBABLY NOT COMPLETELY SURE IF I UNDERSTOOD CLRNC PROPERLY, WHICH HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHEN I WAS FORCED TO VERIFY NAMES OF VORS AND INTXNS, BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO WRITE UNFAMILIAR NAMES FAST ENOUGH. CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE A BETTER METHOD OF CRM AT THIS STAGE OF THE FLT, AS WELL AS THE NECESSITY TO COMPLETELY FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE SID, STAR, AND OTHER MATERIAL PERSONALLY. ALSO, TO ASK THE CTLR TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THEY ISSUE A CLRNC. OTHERWISE, A PLT LIKE MYSELF IS THEN FORCED TO ASK OVER AGAIN THE CLRNC IN ORDER TO BE SAFE.

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.