A-300 crew had an altitude overshot in C90 class B. Confusion initiated by ord local controller and ...

Attributes
ACN	578164
Time
Date	200304
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ord.vor
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : ohare
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5600 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	578164
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	578050
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

We received our pre departure clearance for the flight from ord to mke at XA47Z. Department ord, time XC25Z, 14000 ft, O'hare #1 department, maintain 5000 ft, expect required altitude 10 mins after takeoff, call 121.67 with gate or location. I briefed the pre departure clearance with the first officer, and we checked it against the flight plan release. I next briefed the O'hare one during the normal course of our preflight duties. When we contacted crowd metering (121.67), he gave us the following instructions: air carrier X cleared to taxi to runway 32L, taxiway T10 via runway, taxiway L1, taxiway M1, taxiway T10 hold short of runway 9R. Change your altitude to 7000 ft. The first officer read back: cleared to runway 32L, taxiway T, taxiway L1, taxiway mi, hold short runway 9R, 7000 ft.' we were acknowledged and started taxiing to runway 9R. Taxi was uneventful as we approached runway 32L at taxiway T10. Tower asked us if we were ready to go. We replied yes, and were 'cleared for takeoff, runway 32L at taxiway T10. Fly the runway heading.' passing 4500 ft, tower cleared us to departure frequency, and that is when ord departure asked us why we didn't level at 5000 ft as we were passing 6500 ft for 7000 ft. We informed him we were given 7000 ft as we taxied out. He told us to stay at 7000 ft, and he would talk to the tower. Departure later called us back, and said yes, tower had given us 7000 ft, but that it was an amendment to our final altitude, not a revision to the O'hare one. Departure control said not to worry, and I apologized for our misunderstanding. The problem was giving us the altitude change at the same time we were issued taxi instructions and not being specific about changing final altitude to 7000 ft. The first officer and I were both looking at the taxi diagram, while ground control issued the clearance. Thus, even if the term 'final altitude' was used, we may have missed it. Better to give taxi instructions, let us read those back, and then give us new flight clearance instructions, which we can acknowledge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A-300 CREW HAD AN ALT OVERSHOT IN C90 CLASS B. CONFUSION INITIATED BY ORD LCL CTLR AND LACK OF ALT CHANGE COORD WITH CQO DEP CTLR.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED OUR PDC FOR THE FLT FROM ORD TO MKE AT XA47Z. DEPT ORD, TIME XC25Z, 14000 FT, O'HARE #1 DEPT, MAINTAIN 5000 FT, EXPECT REQUIRED ALT 10 MINS AFTER TKOF, CALL 121.67 WITH GATE OR LOCATION. I BRIEFED THE PDC WITH THE FO, AND WE CHKED IT AGAINST THE FLT PLAN RELEASE. I NEXT BRIEFED THE O'HARE ONE DURING THE NORMAL COURSE OF OUR PREFLT DUTIES. WHEN WE CONTACTED CROWD METERING (121.67), HE GAVE US THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS: ACR X CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 32L, TXWY T10 VIA RWY, TXWY L1, TXWY M1, TXWY T10 HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9R. CHANGE YOUR ALT TO 7000 FT. THE FO READ BACK: CLRED TO RWY 32L, TXWY T, TXWY L1, TXWY MI, HOLD SHORT RWY 9R, 7000 FT.' WE WERE ACKNOWLEDGED AND STARTED TAXIING TO RWY 9R. TAXI WAS UNEVENTFUL AS WE APCHED RWY 32L AT TXWY T10. TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE READY TO GO. WE REPLIED YES, AND WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF, RWY 32L AT TXWY T10. FLY THE RWY HDG.' PASSING 4500 FT, TWR CLRED US TO DEP FREQ, AND THAT IS WHEN ORD DEP ASKED US WHY WE DIDN'T LEVEL AT 5000 FT AS WE WERE PASSING 6500 FT FOR 7000 FT. WE INFORMED HIM WE WERE GIVEN 7000 FT AS WE TAXIED OUT. HE TOLD US TO STAY AT 7000 FT, AND HE WOULD TALK TO THE TWR. DEP LATER CALLED US BACK, AND SAID YES, TWR HAD GIVEN US 7000 FT, BUT THAT IT WAS AN AMENDMENT TO OUR FINAL ALT, NOT A REVISION TO THE O'HARE ONE. DEP CTL SAID NOT TO WORRY, AND I APOLOGIZED FOR OUR MISUNDERSTANDING. THE PROB WAS GIVING US THE ALT CHANGE AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND NOT BEING SPECIFIC ABOUT CHANGING FINAL ALT TO 7000 FT. THE FO AND I WERE BOTH LOOKING AT THE TAXI DIAGRAM, WHILE GND CTL ISSUED THE CLRNC. THUS, EVEN IF THE TERM 'FINAL ALT' WAS USED, WE MAY HAVE MISSED IT. BETTER TO GIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, LET US READ THOSE BACK, AND THEN GIVE US NEW FLT CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE.

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.

A-300 crew had an altitude overshot in C90 class B. Confusion initiated by ord local controller and lack of altitude change coordination with cqo departure controller.