Avro-146 crew had clearance delivery issue the wrong altitude.

Attributes
ACN	491730
Time
Date	200011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbn.airport
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl single value : 0 msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sbn.tracon tower : sbn.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	BAe 146-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1550
ASRS Report	491730
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

When the first officer obtained our clearance from sbn to dtw, the controller delivery person assigned us an initial altitude of 17000 ft. The first officer read back the clearance as given including the 17000 ft initial altitude and was not corrected. During the before start check, I queried the first officer about the 17000 ft initial altitude. It seemed strange but he assured me that was what he had been given. I should have questioned ATC at this point but I did not. After takeoff when we checked in with departure control, we were at 1600 ft and stated we were climbing to 17000 ft. The controller laughed at us and said there is no way we would be given an initial altitude of 17000 ft. He said we should have been assigned an initial altitude of 3000 ft. We were by then almost reaching 3000 ft and he cleared us to 10000 ft without any incident. Further questioning of ATC confirmed that the clearance delivery person had in fact assigned us 17000 ft as the initial altitude. Had we not been able to reach the departure controller in a timely fashion, and had there been traffic in the clouds at 4000 ft, this mistake could have been deadly. Given that the departure clearance altitude seemed unusual to me, I should have asked more questions before departing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AVRO-146 CREW HAD CLRNC DELIVERY ISSUE THE WRONG ALT.

Narrative: WHEN THE FO OBTAINED OUR CLRNC FROM SBN TO DTW, THE CTLR DELIVERY PERSON ASSIGNED US AN INITIAL ALT OF 17000 FT. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AS GIVEN INCLUDING THE 17000 FT INITIAL ALT AND WAS NOT CORRECTED. DURING THE BEFORE START CHK, I QUERIED THE FO ABOUT THE 17000 FT INITIAL ALT. IT SEEMED STRANGE BUT HE ASSURED ME THAT WAS WHAT HE HAD BEEN GIVEN. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED ATC AT THIS POINT BUT I DID NOT. AFTER TKOF WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH DEP CTL, WE WERE AT 1600 FT AND STATED WE WERE CLBING TO 17000 FT. THE CTLR LAUGHED AT US AND SAID THERE IS NO WAY WE WOULD BE GIVEN AN INITIAL ALT OF 17000 FT. HE SAID WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED AN INITIAL ALT OF 3000 FT. WE WERE BY THEN ALMOST REACHING 3000 FT AND HE CLRED US TO 10000 FT WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. FURTHER QUESTIONING OF ATC CONFIRMED THAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY PERSON HAD IN FACT ASSIGNED US 17000 FT AS THE INITIAL ALT. HAD WE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH THE DEP CTLR IN A TIMELY FASHION, AND HAD THERE BEEN TFC IN THE CLOUDS AT 4000 FT, THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. GIVEN THAT THE DEP CLRNC ALT SEEMED UNUSUAL TO ME, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE DEPARTING.

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.