Narrative:

Departed syr for bos. I have had this sequence a total of 8 times during this month. To date we've flown this trip 5 times. First officer was the PF. About 10 mins out (20 mi) from syr, we were given a heading of 120 degrees, direct alb when able, climb to 12000 ft. I read back the clearance with the 12000 ft, set 12000 ft, pointed to it and the first officer pointed and repeated '12000 ft.' several mins passed of near total radio silence (this appears to be a slow time in syr's airspace) before we leveled off at the assigned 12000 ft. Once we leveled off, the controller called, did you stop at 12000 ft?' I thought that maybe he had given us a higher climb that I somehow may have missed. I replied, 'yes sir, level at 12000 ft as assigned.' 'negative, you were given 10000 ft. I've never given 12000 ft in the 9 yrs I've been here!' the controller said very belligerently. I checked with the first officer. Was I incorrect? Hadn't he heard 12000 ft too? He confirmed that he 'thought' that he had heard 12000 ft also. 'No sir. I just checked with my first officer. We both heard 12000 ft, set and confirmed it.' I tried to explain. The reply from the controller was an unintelligible grumble and handoff to ZBW with no further mention of the event. The following day, I again was the PNF on the same flight with a different first officer. I had filled him in on the previous day's events so we were waiting specifically to hear what would be given for a clearance. Sure enough, the controller (a different gentleman) said, 'turn to 120 degrees, direct albany when able, climb to 12000 ft.' 'see!?' I said to my first officer as I read back the clearance and set the 12000 ft assigned altitude. I told the first officer to climb slowly to give me time to query the controller this time. 'Syracuse, do you have time for a question?' I asked the controller. When he said he did, I presented the question to him if it is, or is not, normal to be cleared to 12000 ft at that point on that routing. He said, 'no, I cleared you to 10000 ft.' I answered, 'no sir, the same thing happened yesterday, I was waiting today to hear specifically what you would say. You stated '12000 ft.' my first officer and I both clearly heard it and set it.' 'oh gee, I thought I gave you 10000 ft. Must be thinking about call signs, headings, and maintaining 10000 ft. Sorry.' I was vindicated! All of this conversation was non confrontational albeit very informative. Having a different first officer there as a witness to the whole process made it much more believable that it was indeed just one of those pilot/controller errors that we all read about. Even though I had read back and confirmed with the other pilot the stated altitude, it was incorrect and controller failed to catch it. In the future, a double readback of assigned altitudes may be the order of the day. Needless to say, this coming monday when I fly this trip again, I'll be listening very carefully at that juncture!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING AN SF340 FROM SYA RPTS CONFLICTING AND CONFUSING CLB INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC.

Narrative: DEPARTED SYR FOR BOS. I HAVE HAD THIS SEQUENCE A TOTAL OF 8 TIMES DURING THIS MONTH. TO DATE WE'VE FLOWN THIS TRIP 5 TIMES. FO WAS THE PF. ABOUT 10 MINS OUT (20 MI) FROM SYR, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 120 DEGS, DIRECT ALB WHEN ABLE, CLB TO 12000 FT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH THE 12000 FT, SET 12000 FT, POINTED TO IT AND THE FO POINTED AND REPEATED '12000 FT.' SEVERAL MINS PASSED OF NEAR TOTAL RADIO SILENCE (THIS APPEARS TO BE A SLOW TIME IN SYR'S AIRSPACE) BEFORE WE LEVELED OFF AT THE ASSIGNED 12000 FT. ONCE WE LEVELED OFF, THE CTLR CALLED, DID YOU STOP AT 12000 FT?' I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE HE HAD GIVEN US A HIGHER CLB THAT I SOMEHOW MAY HAVE MISSED. I REPLIED, 'YES SIR, LEVEL AT 12000 FT AS ASSIGNED.' 'NEGATIVE, YOU WERE GIVEN 10000 FT. I'VE NEVER GIVEN 12000 FT IN THE 9 YRS I'VE BEEN HERE!' THE CTLR SAID VERY BELLIGERENTLY. I CHKED WITH THE FO. WAS I INCORRECT? HADN'T HE HEARD 12000 FT TOO? HE CONFIRMED THAT HE 'THOUGHT' THAT HE HAD HEARD 12000 FT ALSO. 'NO SIR. I JUST CHKED WITH MY FO. WE BOTH HEARD 12000 FT, SET AND CONFIRMED IT.' I TRIED TO EXPLAIN. THE REPLY FROM THE CTLR WAS AN UNINTELLIGIBLE GRUMBLE AND HDOF TO ZBW WITH NO FURTHER MENTION OF THE EVENT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I AGAIN WAS THE PNF ON THE SAME FLT WITH A DIFFERENT FO. I HAD FILLED HIM IN ON THE PREVIOUS DAY'S EVENTS SO WE WERE WAITING SPECIFICALLY TO HEAR WHAT WOULD BE GIVEN FOR A CLRNC. SURE ENOUGH, THE CTLR (A DIFFERENT GENTLEMAN) SAID, 'TURN TO 120 DEGS, DIRECT ALBANY WHEN ABLE, CLB TO 12000 FT.' 'SEE!?' I SAID TO MY FO AS I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND SET THE 12000 FT ASSIGNED ALT. I TOLD THE FO TO CLB SLOWLY TO GIVE ME TIME TO QUERY THE CTLR THIS TIME. 'SYRACUSE, DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A QUESTION?' I ASKED THE CTLR. WHEN HE SAID HE DID, I PRESENTED THE QUESTION TO HIM IF IT IS, OR IS NOT, NORMAL TO BE CLRED TO 12000 FT AT THAT POINT ON THAT ROUTING. HE SAID, 'NO, I CLRED YOU TO 10000 FT.' I ANSWERED, 'NO SIR, THE SAME THING HAPPENED YESTERDAY, I WAS WAITING TODAY TO HEAR SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU WOULD SAY. YOU STATED '12000 FT.' MY FO AND I BOTH CLRLY HEARD IT AND SET IT.' 'OH GEE, I THOUGHT I GAVE YOU 10000 FT. MUST BE THINKING ABOUT CALL SIGNS, HDGS, AND MAINTAINING 10000 FT. SORRY.' I WAS VINDICATED! ALL OF THIS CONVERSATION WAS NON CONFRONTATIONAL ALBEIT VERY INFORMATIVE. HAVING A DIFFERENT FO THERE AS A WITNESS TO THE WHOLE PROCESS MADE IT MUCH MORE BELIEVABLE THAT IT WAS INDEED JUST ONE OF THOSE PLT/CTLR ERRORS THAT WE ALL READ ABOUT. EVEN THOUGH I HAD READ BACK AND CONFIRMED WITH THE OTHER PLT THE STATED ALT, IT WAS INCORRECT AND CTLR FAILED TO CATCH IT. IN THE FUTURE, A DOUBLE READBACK OF ASSIGNED ALTS MAY BE THE ORDER OF THE DAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS COMING MONDAY WHEN I FLY THIS TRIP AGAIN, I'LL BE LISTENING VERY CAREFULLY AT THAT JUNCTURE!

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.