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An air carrier MD80 flight crew report that they were cleared to 15000 ft when the controller apparently intended for them to level at 6000 ft for traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 431430 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stl.airport |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 7700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : t75.tracon tower : sju.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Military |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 1700 |
| ASRS Report | 431430 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 431289 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1500 vertical : 1200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Upon changeover from tower to departure control, we were cleared to climb and maintain 15000 ft. I read back 15000 ft to the controller, the first officer confirmed 15000 ft and I set and armed 15000 ft in the altitude alert system. We were given an initial heading of 210 degrees then 250 degrees, radar vectors sgf. Climbing through 7000 ft, we got a TCASII traffic alert. At approximately 7700 ft, I called departure control and advised of traffic in sight at 12 O'clock and 1 O'clock. By this time we were above 8000 ft. The controller asked our altitude. I gave him our altitude and told him we were cleared to 15000 ft. The controller stated the strip showed 6000 ft. I stated again he had cleared us to 15000 ft and asked what altitude he wanted us at. He again cleared us to 15000 ft. The normal clearance altitudes out of stl on handoff from tower to departure control are 6000 ft and 15000 ft, depending on inbound traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC RPT THAT THEY WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT WHEN THE CTLR APPARENTLY INTENDED FOR THEM TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT FOR TFC.
Narrative: UPON CHANGEOVER FROM TWR TO DEP CTL, WE WERE CLRED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT. I READ BACK 15000 FT TO THE CTLR, THE FO CONFIRMED 15000 FT AND I SET AND ARMED 15000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT SYS. WE WERE GIVEN AN INITIAL HDG OF 210 DEGS THEN 250 DEGS, RADAR VECTORS SGF. CLBING THROUGH 7000 FT, WE GOT A TCASII TFC ALERT. AT APPROX 7700 FT, I CALLED DEP CTL AND ADVISED OF TFC IN SIGHT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 1 O'CLOCK. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ABOVE 8000 FT. THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT. I GAVE HIM OUR ALT AND TOLD HIM WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT. THE CTLR STATED THE STRIP SHOWED 6000 FT. I STATED AGAIN HE HAD CLRED US TO 15000 FT AND ASKED WHAT ALT HE WANTED US AT. HE AGAIN CLRED US TO 15000 FT. THE NORMAL CLRNC ALTS OUT OF STL ON HDOF FROM TWR TO DEP CTL ARE 6000 FT AND 15000 FT, DEPENDING ON INBOUND TFC.
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.