B737 flight crew on climb out with sct misunderstood clearance and ascends above expected altitude.

Attributes
ACN	641121
Time
Date	200412
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pom.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : cyyz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	641121
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	641139
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

After departure we were told to climb to 5000 ft on a heading I don't remember. It was very turbulent due to the santa ana winds that day. We were given a clearance of 'climb and maintain 14000 ft at pom, which the captain read back. Both the captain and I understood that to mean climb to 14000 ft by pom. Leaving about 11500 ft the controller asked why we had not stopped at 9000 ft which had never been given prior to that. The captain said that we understood to climb to 14000 ft by pom. He had us level off there for a min or so, then we continued our climb to 14000 ft, and the rest of our flight was uneventful after that. There was an aircraft in the area but at no time did the TCASII activate. I feel had the controller stated 'at pom climb and maintain 14000 ft' there would have been no question as to the meaning, but because of the way he stated it, 'climb and maintain 14000 ft at pom' we both understood that we were to climb to 14000 ft now. The moderate turbulence we were experiencing may have had a factor in it as well.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW ON CLBOUT WITH SCT MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC AND ASCENDS ABOVE EXPECTED ALT.

Narrative: AFTER DEP WE WERE TOLD TO CLB TO 5000 FT ON A HDG I DON'T REMEMBER. IT WAS VERY TURBULENT DUE TO THE SANTA ANA WINDS THAT DAY. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC OF 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT AT POM, WHICH THE CAPT READ BACK. BOTH THE CAPT AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT TO MEAN CLB TO 14000 FT BY POM. LEAVING ABOUT 11500 FT THE CTLR ASKED WHY WE HAD NOT STOPPED AT 9000 FT WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN PRIOR TO THAT. THE CAPT SAID THAT WE UNDERSTOOD TO CLB TO 14000 FT BY POM. HE HAD US LEVEL OFF THERE FOR A MIN OR SO, THEN WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO 14000 FT, AND THE REST OF OUR FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AFTER THAT. THERE WAS AN ACFT IN THE AREA BUT AT NO TIME DID THE TCASII ACTIVATE. I FEEL HAD THE CTLR STATED 'AT POM CLB AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT' THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO QUESTION AS TO THE MEANING, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE STATED IT, 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT AT POM' WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE TO CLB TO 14000 FT NOW. THE MODERATE TURB WE WERE EXPERIENCING MAY HAVE HAD A FACTOR IN IT AS WELL.

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.