Narrative:

Fairly new in aircraft. Got an aircraft with #2 engine bleed inoperative -- no ice operations. Briefed loupe 9 departure well. Briefed takeoff with bleeds off, APU pwring pressurization. I told first officer to fly aircraft and I would do bleed switchover and APU shutdown. We departed runway 30L. In turn to 120 degree heading prior to 047 degree radial, departure gave us 'climb to cross sjc VOR at (or above?) 12000 ft, maintain FL230.' I asked if we were to climb now prior to 047 degree radial. ATC, affirmative climb now. This is contrast to 047 degree radial 5000 ft restr. I read back again 'climb to cross sjc VOR at or above 12000 ft, maintain FL230.' no response except 'contact ZOA.' as I tuned radio, I saw first officer turning to sjc 6 DME and asked if he could make 12000 ft. We were now at 9200 ft. I told him to fly aircraft as I was going to switch bleeds. I was also watching the temperatures due to icing conditions within 2 degrees that we could not go into. I contacted ZOA and asked 'confirm at or above 12000 ft sjc (sjc SID states 'at 12000 ft') climb to FL230.' ZOA responds, 'we need you on the loupe SID.' I asked first officer, 'did you hear at 12000 ft or at or above 12000 ft?' aircraft at 13200 ft. (I had selected FL230 as 'restr altitude'.) first officer then pushed aircraft over to 12600 ft as we crossed sjc VOR. ZOA then says, 'climb and maintain FL230 on loupe 9.' also as if this wasn't enough, during this time a similar call sign XXX was given direct linden. Of course we accepted the invitation. XXX then advised someone had taken their call and I am scrambling to reinstate raw data and FMC navigation data. I do not know if ATC expected SID constraint sjc VOR at 12000 ft, or if 12000 ft or above was issued. First officer heard 12000 ft or above. I questioned it. I thought 12000 ft or above was issued in difference to SID clearance 2 different times by sjc departure -- ie, above 5000 ft prior to 047 degree radial and at 12000 ft sjc then climb XXX. Multiple conflicting altitude assignments, frequency congestion, and similar call signs, absence of readback confirmation, irregular procedure with aircraft deferred system and ice conditions our meteorology and dispatch 'assured' did not exist, high workload, 2 eyes for 3 problems. Saturation and overload borderline in view. Stick to the SID or clearly modify departure constraints with a confirmation before frequency change. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had numerous things going on while in-flight. The first officer flying had to be coaxed into flying and not troubleshooting the aircraft equipment problem. When the PIC questioned the first officer about the ATC clrncs being issued, the first officer was unclr with the intent of the ATC clearance. When departure control canceled the 5000 ft restr, he thought that all restrs were canceled. The captain stated that the controllers do not always state, or cancel the SID restrs the same way, which he believes adds to cockpit distraction/confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC, DISTR WITH ACFT EQUIP PROBS, BECOMES CONFUSED WITH CHANGE OF ATC CLRNC AND CLBS ABOVE LOUPE SID ALT RESTR.

Narrative: FAIRLY NEW IN ACFT. GOT AN ACFT WITH #2 ENG BLEED INOP -- NO ICE OPS. BRIEFED LOUPE 9 DEP WELL. BRIEFED TKOF WITH BLEEDS OFF, APU PWRING PRESSURIZATION. I TOLD FO TO FLY ACFT AND I WOULD DO BLEED SWITCHOVER AND APU SHUTDOWN. WE DEPARTED RWY 30L. IN TURN TO 120 DEG HDG PRIOR TO 047 DEG RADIAL, DEP GAVE US 'CLB TO CROSS SJC VOR AT (OR ABOVE?) 12000 FT, MAINTAIN FL230.' I ASKED IF WE WERE TO CLB NOW PRIOR TO 047 DEG RADIAL. ATC, AFFIRMATIVE CLB NOW. THIS IS CONTRAST TO 047 DEG RADIAL 5000 FT RESTR. I READ BACK AGAIN 'CLB TO CROSS SJC VOR AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT, MAINTAIN FL230.' NO RESPONSE EXCEPT 'CONTACT ZOA.' AS I TUNED RADIO, I SAW FO TURNING TO SJC 6 DME AND ASKED IF HE COULD MAKE 12000 FT. WE WERE NOW AT 9200 FT. I TOLD HIM TO FLY ACFT AS I WAS GOING TO SWITCH BLEEDS. I WAS ALSO WATCHING THE TEMPS DUE TO ICING CONDITIONS WITHIN 2 DEGS THAT WE COULD NOT GO INTO. I CONTACTED ZOA AND ASKED 'CONFIRM AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT SJC (SJC SID STATES 'AT 12000 FT') CLB TO FL230.' ZOA RESPONDS, 'WE NEED YOU ON THE LOUPE SID.' I ASKED FO, 'DID YOU HEAR AT 12000 FT OR AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT?' ACFT AT 13200 FT. (I HAD SELECTED FL230 AS 'RESTR ALT'.) FO THEN PUSHED ACFT OVER TO 12600 FT AS WE CROSSED SJC VOR. ZOA THEN SAYS, 'CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230 ON LOUPE 9.' ALSO AS IF THIS WASN'T ENOUGH, DURING THIS TIME A SIMILAR CALL SIGN XXX WAS GIVEN DIRECT LINDEN. OF COURSE WE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION. XXX THEN ADVISED SOMEONE HAD TAKEN THEIR CALL AND I AM SCRAMBLING TO REINSTATE RAW DATA AND FMC NAV DATA. I DO NOT KNOW IF ATC EXPECTED SID CONSTRAINT SJC VOR AT 12000 FT, OR IF 12000 FT OR ABOVE WAS ISSUED. FO HEARD 12000 FT OR ABOVE. I QUESTIONED IT. I THOUGHT 12000 FT OR ABOVE WAS ISSUED IN DIFFERENCE TO SID CLRNC 2 DIFFERENT TIMES BY SJC DEP -- IE, ABOVE 5000 FT PRIOR TO 047 DEG RADIAL AND AT 12000 FT SJC THEN CLB XXX. MULTIPLE CONFLICTING ALT ASSIGNMENTS, FREQ CONGESTION, AND SIMILAR CALL SIGNS, ABSENCE OF READBACK CONFIRMATION, IRREGULAR PROC WITH ACFT DEFERRED SYS AND ICE CONDITIONS OUR METEOROLOGY AND DISPATCH 'ASSURED' DID NOT EXIST, HIGH WORKLOAD, 2 EYES FOR 3 PROBS. SATURATION AND OVERLOAD BORDERLINE IN VIEW. STICK TO THE SID OR CLRLY MODIFY DEP CONSTRAINTS WITH A CONFIRMATION BEFORE FREQ CHANGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD NUMEROUS THINGS GOING ON WHILE INFLT. THE FO FLYING HAD TO BE COAXED INTO FLYING AND NOT TROUBLESHOOTING THE ACFT EQUIP PROB. WHEN THE PIC QUESTIONED THE FO ABOUT THE ATC CLRNCS BEING ISSUED, THE FO WAS UNCLR WITH THE INTENT OF THE ATC CLRNC. WHEN DEP CTL CANCELED THE 5000 FT RESTR, HE THOUGHT THAT ALL RESTRS WERE CANCELED. THE CAPT STATED THAT THE CTLRS DO NOT ALWAYS STATE, OR CANCEL THE SID RESTRS THE SAME WAY, WHICH HE BELIEVES ADDS TO COCKPIT DISTR/CONFUSION.

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.