Atl controller challenges pilot response to assigned altitude from atl clearance delivery.

Attributes
ACN	459379
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : atl.vortac
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl.tracon tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 23 controller supervisory : 1
ASRS Report	459379
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was issued 10000 ft by clearance delivery, read back 14000 ft. Error was not detected. On initial contact with departure, aircraft said it was climbing to 14000 ft. No answer by departure. Departure was moderately busy with combined frequencys and position. Aircraft did not attempt contact with departure again. After 5 mi of flight, departure contacted aircraft and issued a turn. Aircraft acknowledged. 5 mi later, aircraft was issued another turn by departure and was told 'expect higher altitude in 2 mi.' aircraft acknowledged. Shortly afterward, aircraft asked to 'confirm assigned 14000 ft.' departure responded, 'negative, you only have 10000 ft.' (the altitude actually issued by clearance delivery and published on the SID.) the aircraft challenged that clearance and investigation revealed the pilot's error in not correctly copying the 10000 ft clearance from clearance delivery, and subsequent failures to detect the error. Separation was never lost and at the time of the detection of the error, another aircraft was within 2 mi of the departure aircraft at 12000 ft converging.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATL CTLR CHALLENGES PLT RESPONSE TO ASSIGNED ALT FROM ATL CLRNC DELIVERY.

Narrative: ACFT WAS ISSUED 10000 FT BY CLRNC DELIVERY, READ BACK 14000 FT. ERROR WAS NOT DETECTED. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP, ACFT SAID IT WAS CLBING TO 14000 FT. NO ANSWER BY DEP. DEP WAS MODERATELY BUSY WITH COMBINED FREQS AND POS. ACFT DID NOT ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH DEP AGAIN. AFTER 5 MI OF FLT, DEP CONTACTED ACFT AND ISSUED A TURN. ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED. 5 MI LATER, ACFT WAS ISSUED ANOTHER TURN BY DEP AND WAS TOLD 'EXPECT HIGHER ALT IN 2 MI.' ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, ACFT ASKED TO 'CONFIRM ASSIGNED 14000 FT.' DEP RESPONDED, 'NEGATIVE, YOU ONLY HAVE 10000 FT.' (THE ALT ACTUALLY ISSUED BY CLRNC DELIVERY AND PUBLISHED ON THE SID.) THE ACFT CHALLENGED THAT CLRNC AND INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PLT'S ERROR IN NOT CORRECTLY COPYING THE 10000 FT CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY, AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURES TO DETECT THE ERROR. SEPARATION WAS NEVER LOST AND AT THE TIME OF THE DETECTION OF THE ERROR, ANOTHER ACFT WAS WITHIN 2 MI OF THE DEP ACFT AT 12000 FT CONVERGING.

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.