Narrative:

On the ground in punta cana airport (higuey, dominican republic) and holding short of runway 9. We got our ATC clearance, we were 'clear to san juan.B892.5000, squawk XXXX' moments later 'cleared for takeoff, maintain runway heading, and 5000 ft.' after takeoff we switched to departure control frequency. We were instructed to join the airway and maintain 5000 ft and to call san juan center. Then the controller said tell san juan center that I have no objection if he gives you higher (we were still in santo domingo airspace). My copilot called san juan center 'checked in.' we were cleared to climb to 17000 ft. Passing through 12000 ft the controller asked us, 'what is your assigned altitude?' my first officer responded 17000 ft. Then the controller said 'stop the climb at 13000 ft and to maintain 13000 ft.' (I want to say that during our climb, we had no conflict with any other airplane. We never got a TA or RA on the transponder) to us everything was normal. A while later we called center to confirm our route after maz VOR. We were cleared direct to 'joshe' to my surprise. The controller said to us to write a phone number down. San juan center, that they wanted to talk to me about a possible pilot deviation. Mins later we were switched to approach control. We landed on runway 10. After we parked the airplane at gate X, I called the phone number, I spoke to supervisor. He said to me that I may have incurred a possible pilot deviation. I told him that we were cleared to 17000 ft, and to please listen to the tape, to see who was right or wrong. He said he will do that, he will get back to me in 30 mins. After 30 mins, I called him back again (he did not call me). He said, that his peddle went back 15 mins on the tape and did not hear when we were cleared to 17000 ft. I told him to go back in the tape to where we first called san juan center. He told me he will investigate more, that he will mail me or call at miami. I gave him my license number, my company address and telephone numbers. Yesterday, may/tue/03, we called him from my director of operation office, here in my company. I spoke to him again. He said, he handed the case to another department that does the investigation. Again we gave him all our telephone numbers, and we are still waiting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW IS QUESTIONED BY ATC AT ZSU ARTCC REGARDING ALT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON THE GND IN PUNTA CANA ARPT (HIGUEY, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC) AND HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 9. WE GOT OUR ATC CLRNC, WE WERE 'CLR TO SAN JUAN.B892.5000, SQUAWK XXXX' MOMENTS LATER 'CLRED FOR TKOF, MAINTAIN RWY HEADING, AND 5000 FT.' AFTER TKOF WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL FREQ. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO JOIN THE AIRWAY AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT AND TO CALL SAN JUAN CTR. THEN THE CTLR SAID TELL SAN JUAN CTR THAT I HAVE NO OBJECTION IF HE GIVES YOU HIGHER (WE WERE STILL IN SANTO DOMINGO AIRSPACE). MY COPLT CALLED SAN JUAN CTR 'CHKED IN.' WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO 17000 FT. PASSING THROUGH 12000 FT THE CTLR ASKED US, 'WHAT IS YOUR ASSIGNED ALT?' MY FO RESPONDED 17000 FT. THEN THE CTLR SAID 'STOP THE CLB AT 13000 FT AND TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT.' (I WANT TO SAY THAT DURING OUR CLB, WE HAD NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER AIRPLANE. WE NEVER GOT A TA OR RA ON THE XPONDER) TO US EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. A WHILE LATER WE CALLED CTR TO CONFIRM OUR RTE AFTER MAZ VOR. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO 'JOSHE' TO MY SURPRISE. THE CTLR SAID TO US TO WRITE A PHONE NUMBER DOWN. SAN JUAN CTR, THAT THEY WANTED TO TALK TO ME ABOUT A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. MINS LATER WE WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL. WE LANDED ON RWY 10. AFTER WE PARKED THE AIRPLANE AT GATE X, I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER, I SPOKE TO SUPVR. HE SAID TO ME THAT I MAY HAVE INCURRED A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 17000 FT, AND TO PLEASE LISTEN TO THE TAPE, TO SEE WHO WAS RIGHT OR WRONG. HE SAID HE WILL DO THAT, HE WILL GET BACK TO ME IN 30 MINS. AFTER 30 MINS, I CALLED HIM BACK AGAIN (HE DID NOT CALL ME). HE SAID, THAT HIS PEDDLE WENT BACK 15 MINS ON THE TAPE AND DID NOT HEAR WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO 17000 FT. I TOLD HIM TO GO BACK IN THE TAPE TO WHERE WE FIRST CALLED SAN JUAN CTR. HE TOLD ME HE WILL INVESTIGATE MORE, THAT HE WILL MAIL ME OR CALL AT MIAMI. I GAVE HIM MY LICENSE NUMBER, MY COMPANY ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS. YESTERDAY, MAY/TUE/03, WE CALLED HIM FROM MY DIRECTOR OF OP OFFICE, HERE IN MY COMPANY. I SPOKE TO HIM AGAIN. HE SAID, HE HANDED THE CASE TO ANOTHER DEPT THAT DOES THE INVESTIGATION. AGAIN WE GAVE HIM ALL OUR TELEPHONE NUMBERS, AND WE ARE STILL WAITING.

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.