Narrative:

Our aircraft departed runway 27R from mia. The tower assigned us a heading of 180 degrees. As we were climbing out the frequency was quiet, so I asked the tower controller if she wanted us to switch to departure control frequency. She replied to stay with her and asked us if we were squawking our assigned transponder code. At about the same time the TCASII was issuing a traffic alert. After confirming that the correct code was set and transponder was selected to altitude, I confirmed our squawk code. Shortly thereafter, we received a TCASII alert of 'monitor vertical speed.' we leveled off and noticed that position of the C414 that power pointed to us. The tower asked us to confirm our supposed assigned altitude of 2500 ft (our original clearance was to 5000 ft). We leveled at 2600 ft and saw the traffic. The captain asked if I remembered being assigned 2500 ft. I did not remember hearing the instruction. As the aircraft passed off our left side the occurrence ended. If an altitude assignment was given, I do not remember hearing it. At the time we were in a phase of configuring the aircraft from takeoff phase to climb phase. This of course began at 800 ft AGL but took time because of acceleration cues, ie, acceleration to flaps up speed. At the time checklist was being performed. Instead of asking us a multiple of questions, I think the tower would have been better off just giving us one instruction to level off. Heading and transponder confirmation could have occurred later.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF A DEPARTING ATR72 LEVELS OFF AFTER AN ALERT FROM TWR AND NOTES A C414 PASSING CLOSE BY AFTER AN NMAC SW OF MIA, FL.

Narrative: OUR ACFT DEPARTED RWY 27R FROM MIA. THE TWR ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 180 DEGS. AS WE WERE CLBING OUT THE FREQ WAS QUIET, SO I ASKED THE TWR CTLR IF SHE WANTED US TO SWITCH TO DEP CTL FREQ. SHE REPLIED TO STAY WITH HER AND ASKED US IF WE WERE SQUAWKING OUR ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE TCASII WAS ISSUING A TFC ALERT. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE CORRECT CODE WAS SET AND XPONDER WAS SELECTED TO ALT, I CONFIRMED OUR SQUAWK CODE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT OF 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' WE LEVELED OFF AND NOTICED THAT POS OF THE C414 THAT PWR POINTED TO US. THE TWR ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR SUPPOSED ASSIGNED ALT OF 2500 FT (OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS TO 5000 FT). WE LEVELED AT 2600 FT AND SAW THE TFC. THE CAPT ASKED IF I REMEMBERED BEING ASSIGNED 2500 FT. I DID NOT REMEMBER HEARING THE INSTRUCTION. AS THE ACFT PASSED OFF OUR L SIDE THE OCCURRENCE ENDED. IF AN ALT ASSIGNMENT WAS GIVEN, I DO NOT REMEMBER HEARING IT. AT THE TIME WE WERE IN A PHASE OF CONFIGURING THE ACFT FROM TKOF PHASE TO CLB PHASE. THIS OF COURSE BEGAN AT 800 FT AGL BUT TOOK TIME BECAUSE OF ACCELERATION CUES, IE, ACCELERATION TO FLAPS UP SPD. AT THE TIME CHKLIST WAS BEING PERFORMED. INSTEAD OF ASKING US A MULTIPLE OF QUESTIONS, I THINK THE TWR WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF JUST GIVING US ONE INSTRUCTION TO LEVEL OFF. HDG AND XPONDER CONFIRMATION COULD HAVE OCCURRED LATER.

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.