Narrative:

On dec/mon/01 the captain and I began our day at XA45. We departed for a round trip flight from cle to ind. This flight was the first time the captain and I had flown together. However, I felt that we were very standard in our procedures (as we are trained) and was comfortable working as a crew. On this day, the WX was adverse in every way. Shortly after takeoff, we were IMC and remained in those conditions until the final approach segment, nearly down to minimums. We encountered in our first leg (en route to ind) icing, rain, light chop and moderate turbulence. Other than the WX conditions, however, the flight went very well. The visibility in indianapolis during our arrival was about 1 1/2 mi, but the tower requested visual confirmation of our landing from an air carrier holding short of runway 5R (where we were cleared to land). It was a bad WX day. We performed a quick turn in indianapolis (20 mins) and began our taxi back to runway 5R. After completing the taxi and before takeoff checklists, we taxied into position and hold on runway 5R after an air carrier B737 began his takeoff roll. We were cleared for takeoff and received our clearance as previously given to climb and maintain 5000 ft. The tower handed us off to departure who then gave us our new assignment. Apparently, he cleared us to 6000 ft and a heading of 070 degrees. The confusion came immediately after our readback when another aircraft on the arrival into ind was cleared to descend to 7000 ft. The controller read the clearance to the descending aircraft while the captain was dialing in our assigned altitude and caused us to make the mistake from what I can gather. The captain dialed in 7000 ft instead of 6000 ft. He called out like always '7000 ft set' and I, thinking he was correct, just replied '7000 ft set' without alarming myself. Once we reached 6500 ft, I realized that something wasn't right and started to shallow my climb rate. Simultaneously, we received a master caution for traffic 'TA' only for the descending aircraft. He was still 3-4 mi away and 1500-1700 ft above us. ATC piped in and asked us if we were at 6000 ft and then we began discussing and trying to clarify what our assigned altitude had been. ATC leveled the other aircraft at 8000 ft for safety and I immediately went back to 6000 ft. The TA went away within 5 seconds and both parties crossed areas by 2000 ft and several mi apart. We were asked to contact ZID on the ground, so we did. Supposedly, they dismissed everything when the captain said it was a clarification problem, but I felt this should be made known for safety purposes. I believe the problem came up because of similar clrncs. We had 070 degree heading and 6000 ft. The other aircraft received 7000 ft. The numbers were close and somehow we made the mistake even with 2 of us. Possible external distrs occurred due to early morning start, new crew working together, WX fatigue factors, bad timing, etc. I basically learned that situational awareness cannot be discounted regardless of any circumstances. Obviously, safety could have been compromised, and I'm grateful it wasn't but it was an honest mistake and I think ATC and both crews were assertive in correcting the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E145 CREW, DEPARTING IND, MISINTERPED A CLRNC AND OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ON DEC/MON/01 THE CAPT AND I BEGAN OUR DAY AT XA45. WE DEPARTED FOR A ROUND TRIP FLT FROM CLE TO IND. THIS FLT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE CAPT AND I HAD FLOWN TOGETHER. HOWEVER, I FELT THAT WE WERE VERY STANDARD IN OUR PROCS (AS WE ARE TRAINED) AND WAS COMFORTABLE WORKING AS A CREW. ON THIS DAY, THE WX WAS ADVERSE IN EVERY WAY. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, WE WERE IMC AND REMAINED IN THOSE CONDITIONS UNTIL THE FINAL APCH SEGMENT, NEARLY DOWN TO MINIMUMS. WE ENCOUNTERED IN OUR FIRST LEG (ENRTE TO IND) ICING, RAIN, LIGHT CHOP AND MODERATE TURB. OTHER THAN THE WX CONDITIONS, HOWEVER, THE FLT WENT VERY WELL. THE VISIBILITY IN INDIANAPOLIS DURING OUR ARR WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MI, BUT THE TWR REQUESTED VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF OUR LNDG FROM AN ACR HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 5R (WHERE WE WERE CLRED TO LAND). IT WAS A BAD WX DAY. WE PERFORMED A QUICK TURN IN INDIANAPOLIS (20 MINS) AND BEGAN OUR TAXI BACK TO RWY 5R. AFTER COMPLETING THE TAXI AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLISTS, WE TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 5R AFTER AN ACR B737 BEGAN HIS TKOF ROLL. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AS PREVIOUSLY GIVEN TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. THE TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP WHO THEN GAVE US OUR NEW ASSIGNMENT. APPARENTLY, HE CLRED US TO 6000 FT AND A HDG OF 070 DEGS. THE CONFUSION CAME IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR READBACK WHEN ANOTHER ACFT ON THE ARR INTO IND WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 7000 FT. THE CTLR READ THE CLRNC TO THE DSNDING ACFT WHILE THE CAPT WAS DIALING IN OUR ASSIGNED ALT AND CAUSED US TO MAKE THE MISTAKE FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER. THE CAPT DIALED IN 7000 FT INSTEAD OF 6000 FT. HE CALLED OUT LIKE ALWAYS '7000 FT SET' AND I, THINKING HE WAS CORRECT, JUST REPLIED '7000 FT SET' WITHOUT ALARMING MYSELF. ONCE WE REACHED 6500 FT, I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT AND STARTED TO SHALLOW MY CLB RATE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE RECEIVED A MASTER CAUTION FOR TFC 'TA' ONLY FOR THE DSNDING ACFT. HE WAS STILL 3-4 MI AWAY AND 1500-1700 FT ABOVE US. ATC PIPED IN AND ASKED US IF WE WERE AT 6000 FT AND THEN WE BEGAN DISCUSSING AND TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT OUR ASSIGNED ALT HAD BEEN. ATC LEVELED THE OTHER ACFT AT 8000 FT FOR SAFETY AND I IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO 6000 FT. THE TA WENT AWAY WITHIN 5 SECONDS AND BOTH PARTIES CROSSED AREAS BY 2000 FT AND SEVERAL MI APART. WE WERE ASKED TO CONTACT ZID ON THE GND, SO WE DID. SUPPOSEDLY, THEY DISMISSED EVERYTHING WHEN THE CAPT SAID IT WAS A CLARIFICATION PROB, BUT I FELT THIS SHOULD BE MADE KNOWN FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. I BELIEVE THE PROB CAME UP BECAUSE OF SIMILAR CLRNCS. WE HAD 070 DEG HDG AND 6000 FT. THE OTHER ACFT RECEIVED 7000 FT. THE NUMBERS WERE CLOSE AND SOMEHOW WE MADE THE MISTAKE EVEN WITH 2 OF US. POSSIBLE EXTERNAL DISTRS OCCURRED DUE TO EARLY MORNING START, NEW CREW WORKING TOGETHER, WX FATIGUE FACTORS, BAD TIMING, ETC. I BASICALLY LEARNED THAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CANNOT BE DISCOUNTED REGARDLESS OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. OBVIOUSLY, SAFETY COULD HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED, AND I'M GRATEFUL IT WASN'T BUT IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE AND I THINK ATC AND BOTH CREWS WERE ASSERTIVE IN CORRECTING THE PROB.

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.