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Flight crew of a DC10 undershot an intermediate climb altitude due to misunderstanding caused by frequency congestion.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 494817 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200012 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tpa.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 26000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx.artcc tracon : c90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 10 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 494817 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 495010 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Climbing on 350 degree vector out of tampa, being given incremental altitudes with last clearance to FL240. ZJX called out traffic at 1:30 - 2 O'clock position and we understood that he was at FL260. There was some confusion as to what the controller actually said and we were handed off to another frequency while discussing our understanding of the previous controller's transmission. We made contact with new controller at FL240 and new controller asked if we had been cleared to FL260 by previous controller. We said that we were cleared to FL240 but were unsure of clearance to FL260. The controller seemed annoyed and said standby, and then came back with clearance to FL330. Nothing else was said about clearance to FL260. It was last leg of a 15 hour duty day (night) and we were tired but alert and safe. The radio congestion and frequency changes added to the misunderstanding, if there was one. No traffic conflict occurred to our knowledge.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A DC10 UNDERSHOT AN INTERMEDIATE CLB ALT DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED BY FREQ CONGESTION.
Narrative: CLBING ON 350 DEG VECTOR OUT OF TAMPA, BEING GIVEN INCREMENTAL ALTS WITH LAST CLRNC TO FL240. ZJX CALLED OUT TFC AT 1:30 - 2 O'CLOCK POS AND WE UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS AT FL260. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHAT THE CTLR ACTUALLY SAID AND WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER FREQ WHILE DISCUSSING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PREVIOUS CTLR'S XMISSION. WE MADE CONTACT WITH NEW CTLR AT FL240 AND NEW CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL260 BY PREVIOUS CTLR. WE SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL240 BUT WERE UNSURE OF CLRNC TO FL260. THE CTLR SEEMED ANNOYED AND SAID STANDBY, AND THEN CAME BACK WITH CLRNC TO FL330. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID ABOUT CLRNC TO FL260. IT WAS LAST LEG OF A 15 HR DUTY DAY (NIGHT) AND WE WERE TIRED BUT ALERT AND SAFE. THE RADIO CONGESTION AND FREQ CHANGES ADDED TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING, IF THERE WAS ONE. NO TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED TO OUR KNOWLEDGE.
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.