Narrative:

Took off from uts under VFR conditions. Picked up IFR clearance from ZHU. Clearance was given direct cedar creek VOR and then direct gky and was told to expect an arrival from the next controller. No altitude was given in the clearance. I asked if we were to go up to 14000 ft MSL, but the controller did not respond. As we climbed through 6000 ft MSL, the controller called traffic at 12 O'clock, 15 mi, at 9000 ft MSL. Reaching 8000 ft MSL, I asked the controller to give the position of the traffic. He said the aircraft was 9 O'clock and 5 mi and no factor. As we continued our climb through 8600 ft, the controller asked if we were level at 8000 ft MSL. I responded that we were not given a clearance to maintain 8000 ft MSL and I had asked earlier if we were to go up to 14000 ft MSL. I told him the reason I had asked for him to call the traffic again as we were reaching 8000 ft MSL was to make sure we weren't going to be a traffic conflict. He then gave me a clearance to 14000 ft MSL and handed me off to ZFW. I think there were 2 contributing factors. The first was the controller's failure to provide a complete clearance including altitude and the second was that I wasn't assertive enough to get an altitude clearance from him. I was contacted by the FAA and he agreed that I was never given a complete clearance including altitude. He also said that the controller had missed my call about 14000 ft. It's important for both controllers and pilots to make sure that the communication gap is closed at all times to prevent confusion and the possibility of safety related problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE10 PLT CLBS WITHOUT CLRNC IN ZHU AIRSPACE.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM UTS UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. PICKED UP IFR CLRNC FROM ZHU. CLRNC WAS GIVEN DIRECT CEDAR CREEK VOR AND THEN DIRECT GKY AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT AN ARR FROM THE NEXT CTLR. NO ALT WAS GIVEN IN THE CLRNC. I ASKED IF WE WERE TO GO UP TO 14000 FT MSL, BUT THE CTLR DID NOT RESPOND. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 6000 FT MSL, THE CTLR CALLED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, 15 MI, AT 9000 FT MSL. REACHING 8000 FT MSL, I ASKED THE CTLR TO GIVE THE POS OF THE TFC. HE SAID THE ACFT WAS 9 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI AND NO FACTOR. AS WE CONTINUED OUR CLB THROUGH 8600 FT, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT MSL. I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE NOT GIVEN A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT MSL AND I HAD ASKED EARLIER IF WE WERE TO GO UP TO 14000 FT MSL. I TOLD HIM THE REASON I HAD ASKED FOR HIM TO CALL THE TFC AGAIN AS WE WERE REACHING 8000 FT MSL WAS TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE A TFC CONFLICT. HE THEN GAVE ME A CLRNC TO 14000 FT MSL AND HANDED ME OFF TO ZFW. I THINK THERE WERE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. THE FIRST WAS THE CTLR'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE CLRNC INCLUDING ALT AND THE SECOND WAS THAT I WASN'T ASSERTIVE ENOUGH TO GET AN ALT CLRNC FROM HIM. I WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA AND HE AGREED THAT I WAS NEVER GIVEN A COMPLETE CLRNC INCLUDING ALT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CTLR HAD MISSED MY CALL ABOUT 14000 FT. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR BOTH CTLRS AND PLTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COM GAP IS CLOSED AT ALL TIMES TO PREVENT CONFUSION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SAFETY RELATED PROBS.

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.