Narrative:

Departing las on the idale departure, we were assigned 7000 ft by clearance. Tower directed us to contact departure. As I checked in, we were passing 4800 ft for 7000 ft. I called departure with that information, and he responded to proceed direct boach. I replied wilco. He indicated he did not understand my response, and I repeated 'wilco.' we leveled at 7000 ft and proceeded sbound at that altitude toward boach. We observed TCASII traffic off our right about 10 mi at 8000 ft, and I assumed we were restr to 7000 ft for that traffic. About 16 NM from boach, the departure controller had not, to my recollection, given us further climb. I asked if he was 'still there.' he said 'roger, I'm still here.' a short time later, he asked if I copied my clearance. I said I had not. He said I hadn't read it back, that I just answered wilco. He directed me to climb and maintain FL190. I responded 'roger, departing 7000 ft for FL190.' he seemed angry, but neither myself nor my first officer recalled hearing him clear us above 7000 ft, but it is possible when he cleared us to boach, that the altitude was blocked or that we just didn't hear that clearance. Either way, we had adequate terrain clearance, we were VMC, and were aware of the boach restr of 8000 ft and would have had no problem complying with that restr (we crossed boach above 14000 ft). I'm not sure if replying wilco was a problem, but perhaps I should have responded 'company number, cleared direct boach' by not including the clearance limits and altitudes, the controller might have repeated the clearance to insure I copied the climb to FL190. On the other hand, if the controller had been more specific and had asked 'did you copy your clearance to boach and FL190, I might have better understood what he was asking me as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOME CLRNC CONFUSION RESULTS FROM THE USE OF THE TERM 'WILCO' IN A CLRNC READBACK.

Narrative: DEPARTING LAS ON THE IDALE DEP, WE WERE ASSIGNED 7000 FT BY CLRNC. TWR DIRECTED US TO CONTACT DEP. AS I CHKED IN, WE WERE PASSING 4800 FT FOR 7000 FT. I CALLED DEP WITH THAT INFO, AND HE RESPONDED TO PROCEED DIRECT BOACH. I REPLIED WILCO. HE INDICATED HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND MY RESPONSE, AND I REPEATED 'WILCO.' WE LEVELED AT 7000 FT AND PROCEEDED SBOUND AT THAT ALT TOWARD BOACH. WE OBSERVED TCASII TFC OFF OUR R ABOUT 10 MI AT 8000 FT, AND I ASSUMED WE WERE RESTR TO 7000 FT FOR THAT TFC. ABOUT 16 NM FROM BOACH, THE DEP CTLR HAD NOT, TO MY RECOLLECTION, GIVEN US FURTHER CLB. I ASKED IF HE WAS 'STILL THERE.' HE SAID 'ROGER, I'M STILL HERE.' A SHORT TIME LATER, HE ASKED IF I COPIED MY CLRNC. I SAID I HAD NOT. HE SAID I HADN'T READ IT BACK, THAT I JUST ANSWERED WILCO. HE DIRECTED ME TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL190. I RESPONDED 'ROGER, DEPARTING 7000 FT FOR FL190.' HE SEEMED ANGRY, BUT NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY FO RECALLED HEARING HIM CLR US ABOVE 7000 FT, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE WHEN HE CLRED US TO BOACH, THAT THE ALT WAS BLOCKED OR THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HEAR THAT CLRNC. EITHER WAY, WE HAD ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLRNC, WE WERE VMC, AND WERE AWARE OF THE BOACH RESTR OF 8000 FT AND WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROB COMPLYING WITH THAT RESTR (WE CROSSED BOACH ABOVE 14000 FT). I'M NOT SURE IF REPLYING WILCO WAS A PROB, BUT PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED 'COMPANY NUMBER, CLRED DIRECT BOACH' BY NOT INCLUDING THE CLRNC LIMITS AND ALTS, THE CTLR MIGHT HAVE REPEATED THE CLRNC TO INSURE I COPIED THE CLB TO FL190. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE CTLR HAD BEEN MORE SPECIFIC AND HAD ASKED 'DID YOU COPY YOUR CLRNC TO BOACH AND FL190, I MIGHT HAVE BETTER UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS ASKING ME AS WELL.

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.