B757 departing ont is confused with ATC directed climb versus SID published instructions.

Attributes
ACN	593116
Time
Date	200309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pom.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : pomona
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 127 flight time total : 6310 flight time type : 3509
ASRS Report	593116
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were cleared as filed on an IFR flight plan from the ont airport to fat airport. Our filed flight plan and ATC clearance was to fly the pomona 6 SID. After takeoff on runway 8R at ont, we began flying the pomona 6 departure. While in a right turn toward the pomona VOR, we were climbing through 2300 ft and were then switched to socal departure. I was operating the radios. I called socal departure. I reported 'passing 2300 ft for 14000 ft on the SID.' socal said 'cleared to 14000 ft.' just prior to the pomona VOR, we were leveling off at 8000 ft in compliance with the altitude restrs as depicted on the SID. Socal asked 'are you climbing?' we reported 'leveling at 8000 ft.' socal advised we were 'cleared unrestr to climb to 14000 ft.' socal departure did not say 'unrestr climb' on the initial radio check-in, so we assumed we were to comply with the altitude restr. It was our understanding to comply with all altitude restrs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 DEPARTING ONT IS CONFUSED WITH ATC DIRECTED CLB VERSUS SID PUBLISHED INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED AS FILED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM THE ONT ARPT TO FAT ARPT. OUR FILED FLT PLAN AND ATC CLRNC WAS TO FLY THE POMONA 6 SID. AFTER TKOF ON RWY 8R AT ONT, WE BEGAN FLYING THE POMONA 6 DEP. WHILE IN A R TURN TOWARD THE POMONA VOR, WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 2300 FT AND WERE THEN SWITCHED TO SOCAL DEP. I WAS OPERATING THE RADIOS. I CALLED SOCAL DEP. I RPTED 'PASSING 2300 FT FOR 14000 FT ON THE SID.' SOCAL SAID 'CLRED TO 14000 FT.' JUST PRIOR TO THE POMONA VOR, WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT 8000 FT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ALT RESTRS AS DEPICTED ON THE SID. SOCAL ASKED 'ARE YOU CLBING?' WE RPTED 'LEVELING AT 8000 FT.' SOCAL ADVISED WE WERE 'CLRED UNRESTR TO CLB TO 14000 FT.' SOCAL DEP DID NOT SAY 'UNRESTR CLB' ON THE INITIAL RADIO CHK-IN, SO WE ASSUMED WE WERE TO COMPLY WITH THE ALT RESTR. IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING TO COMPLY WITH ALL ALT RESTRS.

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.