Narrative:

Cleared as filed, capital 4 departure, 3000 ft. When setting our initial climb altitude in our altitude selector, it was set to 4000 ft as published in bold letters on capital 4 departure SID for iad. In regular print it says 'or assigned altitude.' somehow, my first officer and myself missed the 3000 ft on our clearance, and when we did our displays check, both acknowledged 4000 ft as per capital 4 departure. On departure, the WX was turbulence, rainy and windy with the remnants of a hurricane. We departed runway 1R at iad. Tower turned us over to departure control. We climbed at approximately 2000 FPM to begin our exit from the moderate turbulence and WX. When my first officer called departure and was able to get a word in on the frequency, he stated, 'aircraft X 2700 ft for 4000 ft.' there was no answer that time. He tried again and said 'aircraft X climbing to 4000 ft.' we were told we were on the wrong frequency and were supposed to level off at 3000 ft. We were as high as 3500 ft before going back down to 3000 ft and changing frequency. We immediately contacted the other controller on the other frequency and were cleared to 11000 ft without event. This was my fault for somehow missing placement of our 'other assigned altitude' in our altitude selector. I think it would be beneficial for all aircraft to be assigned to the common initial altitude of 3000 ft. If it were printed somewhere on the SID, such as 'turboprops or propeller aircraft maintain 3000 ft' as seen on other departure plates and '4000 ft turbojets only' or perhaps not having 'maintain 4o00 ft' in bold letters by itself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW SETS ALT ALERTER TO INCORRECT ALT AND EXCEEDS CLRED ALT.

Narrative: CLRED AS FILED, CAPITAL 4 DEP, 3000 FT. WHEN SETTING OUR INITIAL CLB ALT IN OUR ALT SELECTOR, IT WAS SET TO 4000 FT AS PUBLISHED IN BOLD LETTERS ON CAPITAL 4 DEP SID FOR IAD. IN REGULAR PRINT IT SAYS 'OR ASSIGNED ALT.' SOMEHOW, MY FO AND MYSELF MISSED THE 3000 FT ON OUR CLRNC, AND WHEN WE DID OUR DISPLAYS CHK, BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED 4000 FT AS PER CAPITAL 4 DEP. ON DEP, THE WX WAS TURB, RAINY AND WINDY WITH THE REMNANTS OF A HURRICANE. WE DEPARTED RWY 1R AT IAD. TWR TURNED US OVER TO DEP CTL. WE CLBED AT APPROX 2000 FPM TO BEGIN OUR EXIT FROM THE MODERATE TURB AND WX. WHEN MY FO CALLED DEP AND WAS ABLE TO GET A WORD IN ON THE FREQ, HE STATED, 'ACFT X 2700 FT FOR 4000 FT.' THERE WAS NO ANSWER THAT TIME. HE TRIED AGAIN AND SAID 'ACFT X CLBING TO 4000 FT.' WE WERE TOLD WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ AND WERE SUPPOSED TO LEVEL OFF AT 3000 FT. WE WERE AS HIGH AS 3500 FT BEFORE GOING BACK DOWN TO 3000 FT AND CHANGING FREQ. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE OTHER CTLR ON THE OTHER FREQ AND WERE CLRED TO 11000 FT WITHOUT EVENT. THIS WAS MY FAULT FOR SOMEHOW MISSING PLACEMENT OF OUR 'OTHER ASSIGNED ALT' IN OUR ALT SELECTOR. I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL ACFT TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE COMMON INITIAL ALT OF 3000 FT. IF IT WERE PRINTED SOMEWHERE ON THE SID, SUCH AS 'TURBOPROPS OR PROP ACFT MAINTAIN 3000 FT' AS SEEN ON OTHER DEP PLATES AND '4000 FT TURBOJETS ONLY' OR PERHAPS NOT HAVING 'MAINTAIN 4O00 FT' IN BOLD LETTERS BY ITSELF.

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.