Narrative:

Cleared shead 1 departure to 7000 ft. Standard. First officer (me) flying the departure. Switch to departure and we receive an unrestr climb to 8000 ft. Shortly after we receive 'climb and maintain 11000 ft,' captain sets 11000 ft in the altitude window. Because of the current read file warnings about terminology and the controller's previous unrestr climb, I commented to the captain about the poor terminology and what we are supposed to do with the maddg restr coming up at 9000 ft. He queried the controller as I slowed the climb just in case the restr was still in effect. By the time the controller responded, the aircraft was passing about 9300 ft and beginning its turn at maddg to the next fix. The controller's reply was that the restr was there and to proceed direct to shead. Of course by the time he got those words out the aircraft was turning anyway. Since we got an unrestr climb once already from this controller, we both felt that he should have stated in the subsequent climb to use SID restrs if that was his intent. Obviously on initial contact we were following SID restrs unless told to climb unrestr. Supplemental information from acn 600685: confusion between captain and first officer as to mddog 9000 ft restr in effect. While attempting to clarify with departure, altitude was about 9300 ft MSL crossing mddog.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 DEP FROM LAS EXPERIENCED CONFUSION WITH ALT RESTR ON DEP PROC.

Narrative: CLRED SHEAD 1 DEP TO 7000 FT. STANDARD. FO (ME) FLYING THE DEP. SWITCH TO DEP AND WE RECEIVE AN UNRESTR CLB TO 8000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER WE RECEIVE 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT,' CAPT SETS 11000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW. BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT READ FILE WARNINGS ABOUT TERMINOLOGY AND THE CTLR'S PREVIOUS UNRESTR CLB, I COMMENTED TO THE CAPT ABOUT THE POOR TERMINOLOGY AND WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THE MADDG RESTR COMING UP AT 9000 FT. HE QUERIED THE CTLR AS I SLOWED THE CLB JUST IN CASE THE RESTR WAS STILL IN EFFECT. BY THE TIME THE CTLR RESPONDED, THE ACFT WAS PASSING ABOUT 9300 FT AND BEGINNING ITS TURN AT MADDG TO THE NEXT FIX. THE CTLR'S REPLY WAS THAT THE RESTR WAS THERE AND TO PROCEED DIRECT TO SHEAD. OF COURSE BY THE TIME HE GOT THOSE WORDS OUT THE ACFT WAS TURNING ANYWAY. SINCE WE GOT AN UNRESTR CLB ONCE ALREADY FROM THIS CTLR, WE BOTH FELT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE STATED IN THE SUBSEQUENT CLB TO USE SID RESTRS IF THAT WAS HIS INTENT. OBVIOUSLY ON INITIAL CONTACT WE WERE FOLLOWING SID RESTRS UNLESS TOLD TO CLB UNRESTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 600685: CONFUSION BTWN CAPT AND FO AS TO MDDOG 9000 FT RESTR IN EFFECT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLARIFY WITH DEP, ALT WAS ABOUT 9300 FT MSL XING MDDOG.

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.