Narrative:

Received clearance after engine start for jac. Clearance included 'maintain 8000 ft.' confusion occurred because assigned departure procedure was not removed from binder. Immediately following readback of clearance, the captain called for proper departure procedure plate. Instead of putting initial altitude, departure frequency and squawk in the radios, the first officer retrieved departure procedure from binder and handed it to the captain. The captain then called for taxi checklists, taxied, and briefed the rockies 3 departure from the plate which included 'maintain 10000 ft.' the captain then set 10000 ft in altitude alerter. Simultaneously, the first officer ran the taxi checklists quickly in order to be ready for an immediate departure. Upon arrival at the runway, clearance for takeoff was given. While climbing out of 7000 ft and maneuvering to avoid 2 VFR aircraft, tower handed us off to den departure control. First officer checked in and reported, 'leaving 7000 ft for 10000 ft.' departure control responded ,'roger.' while climbing through 8500 ft, ATC said, 'maintain 8000 ft.' first officer responded, 'we were cleared to 10000 ft' -- since it was set in the altitude alerter. ATC responded, 'then maintain 9000 ft -- I don't know who gave you that.' a frequency change was quickly given and the flight continued without further incident. Cause: the cause of the altitude deviation was directly related to the flight crew's performance of duties 'individually,' rather than 'as a crew.' had the captain and first officer reviewed the clearance and departure procedure together, without performing other duties simultaneously in order to expedite the departure, the confusion would never have occurred. Future actions: future operations will require the flight crew to clarify and input clearance altitude, frequency and squawk as soon as it is received, without allowing interference from other cockpit duties. Supplemental information from acn 430110: IFR clearance was received with 8000 ft initial altitude. SID stated 10000 ft or assigned altitude. During crew briefing, 10000 ft was installed into altitude alerter. In order to prevent this from happening again, we will brief the clearance as well as the SID prior to departure. Initial calls to center should be closely monitored to assure everybody is on the same page.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LR55 CLBS ABOVE ITS ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT DURING THE ROCKIES 3 DEP PROC.

Narrative: RECEIVED CLRNC AFTER ENG START FOR JAC. CLRNC INCLUDED 'MAINTAIN 8000 FT.' CONFUSION OCCURRED BECAUSE ASSIGNED DEP PROC WAS NOT REMOVED FROM BINDER. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING READBACK OF CLRNC, THE CAPT CALLED FOR PROPER DEP PROC PLATE. INSTEAD OF PUTTING INITIAL ALT, DEP FREQ AND SQUAWK IN THE RADIOS, THE FO RETRIEVED DEP PROC FROM BINDER AND HANDED IT TO THE CAPT. THE CAPT THEN CALLED FOR TAXI CHKLISTS, TAXIED, AND BRIEFED THE ROCKIES 3 DEP FROM THE PLATE WHICH INCLUDED 'MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' THE CAPT THEN SET 10000 FT IN ALT ALERTER. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE FO RAN THE TAXI CHKLISTS QUICKLY IN ORDER TO BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP. UPON ARR AT THE RWY, CLRNC FOR TKOF WAS GIVEN. WHILE CLBING OUT OF 7000 FT AND MANEUVERING TO AVOID 2 VFR ACFT, TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEN DEP CTL. FO CHKED IN AND RPTED, 'LEAVING 7000 FT FOR 10000 FT.' DEP CTL RESPONDED ,'ROGER.' WHILE CLBING THROUGH 8500 FT, ATC SAID, 'MAINTAIN 8000 FT.' FO RESPONDED, 'WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT' -- SINCE IT WAS SET IN THE ALT ALERTER. ATC RESPONDED, 'THEN MAINTAIN 9000 FT -- I DON'T KNOW WHO GAVE YOU THAT.' A FREQ CHANGE WAS QUICKLY GIVEN AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CAUSE: THE CAUSE OF THE ALTDEV WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FLC'S PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES 'INDIVIDUALLY,' RATHER THAN 'AS A CREW.' HAD THE CAPT AND FO REVIEWED THE CLRNC AND DEP PROC TOGETHER, WITHOUT PERFORMING OTHER DUTIES SIMULTANEOUSLY IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE THE DEP, THE CONFUSION WOULD NEVER HAVE OCCURRED. FUTURE ACTIONS: FUTURE OPS WILL REQUIRE THE FLC TO CLARIFY AND INPUT CLRNC ALT, FREQ AND SQUAWK AS SOON AS IT IS RECEIVED, WITHOUT ALLOWING INTERFERENCE FROM OTHER COCKPIT DUTIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430110: IFR CLRNC WAS RECEIVED WITH 8000 FT INITIAL ALT. SID STATED 10000 FT OR ASSIGNED ALT. DURING CREW BRIEFING, 10000 FT WAS INSTALLED INTO ALT ALERTER. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, WE WILL BRIEF THE CLRNC AS WELL AS THE SID PRIOR TO DEP. INITIAL CALLS TO CTR SHOULD BE CLOSELY MONITORED TO ASSURE EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE.

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.