Narrative:

We had departed lax airport and were on radar vectors to the south. I think the heading was 160 degrees. The departure controller cleared us to 15000 ft and then gave us a center frequency. When I checked in with ZLA I told the controller that we were climbing through 13700 ft and the controller told us that we were only cleared to 13000 ft. I replied in the negative and told him that we were cleared to 15000 ft by the previous controller. He then cleared us to 17000 ft. When we got the 15000 ft clearance I dialed it into the altitude window of the mode control panel, announced it to the copilot, and pointed to it until the copilot repeated the altitude and also pointed. This is standard procedure for my company. This procedure gave us a large measure of confidence when the confusion arose but even so there was some concern. The concern arose from the high workload produced by this departure. This departure almost always produces a frequency change, one or more heading changes for the radar vector and a new altitude assignment -- all before the flaps are retracted. That means that the PNF must respond to several radio calls as well as at least 4 directives from the PF, (flap retracting calls). Ideally there would be no radio calls, heading changes or new altitude assignments until the flaps are retracted and the crew has had time to complete the after takeoff checklist. Supplemental information from acn 452619: oct/ab/99, at or about AM30 am I was the first officer of the B747-400. Socal cleared us to 15000 ft, the captain (PNF), read back 15000 ft to socal and set it in the altitude indicator of MCP and he pointed to it. I verified it by pointing to it also (I heard 15000 ft also) and started my climb. Moments later the controller had us switch frequency. As we were climbing through 13700 ft the controller told us 'air carrier abcd heavy, you were only cleared to 13000 ft.' captain responded, 'negative, the previous controller had cleared us up to 15000 ft.' he responded, 'air carrier abcd climb to 17000 ft.' we contacted our dispatcher if they can call the ATC and find out if we were wrong in any way. (Highly unlikely.) he came back and said that the 2 controllers didn't communicate well, and 15000 ft was an unusual altitude for the second controller to see. He also said no report will be filed against us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW HAD ALTDEV.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED LAX ARPT AND WERE ON RADAR VECTORS TO THE S. I THINK THE HEADING WAS 160 DEGS. THE DEP CTLR CLRED US TO 15000 FT AND THEN GAVE US A CTR FREQ. WHEN I CHKED IN WITH ZLA I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 13700 FT AND THE CTLR TOLD US THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 13000 FT. I REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE AND TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR. HE THEN CLRED US TO 17000 FT. WHEN WE GOT THE 15000 FT CLRNC I DIALED IT INTO THE ALT WINDOW OF THE MODE CTL PANEL, ANNOUNCED IT TO THE COPLT, AND POINTED TO IT UNTIL THE COPLT REPEATED THE ALT AND ALSO POINTED. THIS IS STANDARD PROC FOR MY COMPANY. THIS PROC GAVE US A LARGE MEASURE OF CONFIDENCE WHEN THE CONFUSION AROSE BUT EVEN SO THERE WAS SOME CONCERN. THE CONCERN AROSE FROM THE HIGH WORKLOAD PRODUCED BY THIS DEP. THIS DEP ALMOST ALWAYS PRODUCES A FREQ CHANGE, ONE OR MORE HEADING CHANGES FOR THE RADAR VECTOR AND A NEW ALT ASSIGNMENT -- ALL BEFORE THE FLAPS ARE RETRACTED. THAT MEANS THAT THE PNF MUST RESPOND TO SEVERAL RADIO CALLS AS WELL AS AT LEAST 4 DIRECTIVES FROM THE PF, (FLAP RETRACTING CALLS). IDEALLY THERE WOULD BE NO RADIO CALLS, HEADING CHANGES OR NEW ALT ASSIGNMENTS UNTIL THE FLAPS ARE RETRACTED AND THE CREW HAS HAD TIME TO COMPLETE THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 452619: OCT/AB/99, AT OR ABOUT AM30 AM I WAS THE FO OF THE B747-400. SOCAL CLRED US TO 15000 FT, THE CAPT (PNF), READ BACK 15000 FT TO SOCAL AND SET IT IN THE ALT INDICATOR OF MCP AND HE POINTED TO IT. I VERIFIED IT BY POINTING TO IT ALSO (I HEARD 15000 FT ALSO) AND STARTED MY CLB. MOMENTS LATER THE CTLR HAD US SWITCH FREQ. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 13700 FT THE CTLR TOLD US 'ACR ABCD HVY, YOU WERE ONLY CLRED TO 13000 FT.' CAPT RESPONDED, 'NEGATIVE, THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD CLRED US UP TO 15000 FT.' HE RESPONDED, 'ACR ABCD CLB TO 17000 FT.' WE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCHER IF THEY CAN CALL THE ATC AND FIND OUT IF WE WERE WRONG IN ANY WAY. (HIGHLY UNLIKELY.) HE CAME BACK AND SAID THAT THE 2 CTLRS DIDN'T COMMUNICATE WELL, AND 15000 FT WAS AN UNUSUAL ALT FOR THE SECOND CTLR TO SEE. HE ALSO SAID NO RPT WILL BE FILED AGAINST US.

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.