B757-200 departure from puj experienced TCASII TA likely due to confused altitude clearance limit.

Attributes
ACN	624063
Time
Date	200407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdpc.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 2600
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mdpc.tracon tower : mdpc.tower tower : sua.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	624063
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Initial ATC clearance received from puj tower: cleared to mia via W28 pta A554 sekar as filed. Climb to FL390. Squawk XXXX. Climb initially to and maintain 8000 ft. As we were cleared for takeoff tower said climb runway heading to 3000 ft then make a left turn and intercept W28 on course. As we were climbing through approximately 2600 ft we received a TCASII TA. First officer looked up and to his right and saw a B747 which appeared to be on a converging course with us. He started an immediate left turn to avoid the traffic. I asked the tower why we had not been told about the B747 and he just apologized and sent us to departure control (119.7). Departure control told me our clearance was only to 3000 ft and I said 'negative, negative' that we were told to turn at 3000 ft and had not received any other altitude clearance other than to climb and maintain 8000 ft. He sent us to sdq center and I was later told to recontact departure control (119.7). Told this controller same story and he just said okay and have a nice flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 DEP FROM PUJ EXPERIENCED TCASII TA LIKELY DUE TO CONFUSED ALT CLRNC LIMIT.

Narrative: INITIAL ATC CLRNC RECEIVED FROM PUJ TWR: CLRED TO MIA VIA W28 PTA A554 SEKAR AS FILED. CLB TO FL390. SQUAWK XXXX. CLB INITIALLY TO AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT. AS WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF TWR SAID CLB RWY HDG TO 3000 FT THEN MAKE A L TURN AND INTERCEPT W28 ON COURSE. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 2600 FT WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA. FO LOOKED UP AND TO HIS R AND SAW A B747 WHICH APPEARED TO BE ON A CONVERGING COURSE WITH US. HE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO AVOID THE TFC. I ASKED THE TWR WHY WE HAD NOT BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE B747 AND HE JUST APOLOGIZED AND SENT US TO DEP CTL (119.7). DEP CTL TOLD ME OUR CLRNC WAS ONLY TO 3000 FT AND I SAID 'NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE' THAT WE WERE TOLD TO TURN AT 3000 FT AND HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY OTHER ALT CLRNC OTHER THAN TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT. HE SENT US TO SDQ CTR AND I WAS LATER TOLD TO RECONTACT DEP CTL (119.7). TOLD THIS CTLR SAME STORY AND HE JUST SAID OKAY AND HAVE A NICE FLT.

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.