F100 flight crew experienced altitude clearance confusion with ZOB and ZAU.

Attributes
ACN	604742
Time
Date	200401
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zau.artcc
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29500
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc artcc : zau.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	604742
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	vertical : 1500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

While in climb, first officer got up to open door for meals. I was flying and temporarily handling radios. ZAU reclred us from FL240 to FL270, and said FL290 would be final for a while as traffic was passing overhead. I advised first officer of FL290 final. A short while later center reclred us to FL330. First officer responded with FL330 and center did not correct, so I commented that the traffic must be gone. Next center changed us over to cleveland and said higher would be available later. First officer checked in with 'out of FL280 for FL330,' emphasizing FL330. Center responded 'roger.' as we climbed through FL294, we saw traffic passing overhead at FL310. I started to leveloff, and ATC asked if we were stopping at FL390. First officer responded that we were previously cleared to FL330 and we checked in with climb to FL330. ATC responded that he did not hear it, as I descended back to FL290, after reaching a maximum of FL295. Center said he was checking with chicago as they were only supposed to clear us to FL290, then gave us a frequency change. Perhaps I should have been a little more emphatic on verifying the altitude, but we responded to both chicago and cleveland with the clearance to FL330, which we are sure chicago gave us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED ALT CLRNC CONFUSION WITH ZOB AND ZAU.

Narrative: WHILE IN CLB, FO GOT UP TO OPEN DOOR FOR MEALS. I WAS FLYING AND TEMPORARILY HANDLING RADIOS. ZAU RECLRED US FROM FL240 TO FL270, AND SAID FL290 WOULD BE FINAL FOR A WHILE AS TFC WAS PASSING OVERHEAD. I ADVISED FO OF FL290 FINAL. A SHORT WHILE LATER CTR RECLRED US TO FL330. FO RESPONDED WITH FL330 AND CTR DID NOT CORRECT, SO I COMMENTED THAT THE TFC MUST BE GONE. NEXT CTR CHANGED US OVER TO CLEVELAND AND SAID HIGHER WOULD BE AVAILABLE LATER. FO CHKED IN WITH 'OUT OF FL280 FOR FL330,' EMPHASIZING FL330. CTR RESPONDED 'ROGER.' AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL294, WE SAW TFC PASSING OVERHEAD AT FL310. I STARTED TO LEVELOFF, AND ATC ASKED IF WE WERE STOPPING AT FL390. FO RESPONDED THAT WE WERE PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO FL330 AND WE CHKED IN WITH CLB TO FL330. ATC RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR IT, AS I DSNDED BACK TO FL290, AFTER REACHING A MAX OF FL295. CTR SAID HE WAS CHKING WITH CHICAGO AS THEY WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO CLR US TO FL290, THEN GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE EMPHATIC ON VERIFYING THE ALT, BUT WE RESPONDED TO BOTH CHICAGO AND CLEVELAND WITH THE CLRNC TO FL330, WHICH WE ARE SURE CHICAGO GAVE US.

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.