Narrative:

I was in the FBO paying for fuel and talking to the company about billing issues while my first officer was in the aircraft copying the departure clearance. As I was heading back to the aircraft the owner pulled up and I greeted and then loaded baggage. I walked around the aircraft; secured the door and briefed the passenger about safety and flight time. My first officer and I followed company procedures to start the aircraft and start to taxi. As I got to my takeoff brief; I went over the aircraft weight; WX; runway; and emergency procedures and return locations. I then asked him to brief me on the departure procedure. We walked through it and I had no questions. As we departed apa; I was climbing to 10000 ft MSL as the tower told us to contact departure. We were through about 7200 ft MSL; my first officer tried calling twice with no response and finally a voice said 'descend to 9000 ft; you are showing 9400 ft at this time and turn west (from a nnw heading).' the controller asked what altitude we were assigned and my first officer said 10000 ft. The controller asked who assigned that and my first officer said the departure plate shows it. My first officer had a problem copying a fix in the departure clearance readback and forgot to write down the assigned altitude (8000 ft). When my first officer searched for an altitude; he saw the 10000 ft on the departure (SID) plate and also used the plate's departure frequency instead of what was assigned in his clearance (which he did write down). When I heard him tell the controller that 10000 ft come from the plate my heart sunk knowing it was probably showing that altitude for den departures; as I asked for the plate; my fear were confirmed and I pointed out that we were a satellite departure and; therefore; needed an assigned altitude and that he failed to call the assigned departure frequency which is why we didn't receive a quick response. My first officer is a retired air carrier captain who has only flown part 121 and is not used to looking for satellite information; he's used to the chart's bold print pertaining to him. He also had just learned of air carrier cutting more pension and health care from his retirement and was very worried about near future money issues. I should've taken the plate and verified the altitude and frequency instead of being briefed; I don't allow it on arrs so I shouldn't allow it on departures; further both pilots should be present for the reading of the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE JET EXCEEDS CLRED ALT DURING DEP FROM A DEN SATELLITE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS IN THE FBO PAYING FOR FUEL AND TALKING TO THE COMPANY ABOUT BILLING ISSUES WHILE MY FO WAS IN THE ACFT COPYING THE DEP CLRNC. AS I WAS HEADING BACK TO THE ACFT THE OWNER PULLED UP AND I GREETED AND THEN LOADED BAGGAGE. I WALKED AROUND THE ACFT; SECURED THE DOOR AND BRIEFED THE PAX ABOUT SAFETY AND FLT TIME. MY FO AND I FOLLOWED COMPANY PROCS TO START THE ACFT AND START TO TAXI. AS I GOT TO MY TKOF BRIEF; I WENT OVER THE ACFT WT; WX; RWY; AND EMER PROCS AND RETURN LOCATIONS. I THEN ASKED HIM TO BRIEF ME ON THE DEP PROC. WE WALKED THROUGH IT AND I HAD NO QUESTIONS. AS WE DEPARTED APA; I WAS CLBING TO 10000 FT MSL AS THE TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP. WE WERE THROUGH ABOUT 7200 FT MSL; MY FO TRIED CALLING TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE AND FINALLY A VOICE SAID 'DSND TO 9000 FT; YOU ARE SHOWING 9400 FT AT THIS TIME AND TURN W (FROM A NNW HDG).' THE CTLR ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE ASSIGNED AND MY FO SAID 10000 FT. THE CTLR ASKED WHO ASSIGNED THAT AND MY FO SAID THE DEP PLATE SHOWS IT. MY FO HAD A PROB COPYING A FIX IN THE DEP CLRNC READBACK AND FORGOT TO WRITE DOWN THE ASSIGNED ALT (8000 FT). WHEN MY FO SEARCHED FOR AN ALT; HE SAW THE 10000 FT ON THE DEP (SID) PLATE AND ALSO USED THE PLATE'S DEP FREQ INSTEAD OF WHAT WAS ASSIGNED IN HIS CLRNC (WHICH HE DID WRITE DOWN). WHEN I HEARD HIM TELL THE CTLR THAT 10000 FT COME FROM THE PLATE MY HEART SUNK KNOWING IT WAS PROBABLY SHOWING THAT ALT FOR DEN DEPS; AS I ASKED FOR THE PLATE; MY FEAR WERE CONFIRMED AND I POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE A SATELLITE DEP AND; THEREFORE; NEEDED AN ASSIGNED ALT AND THAT HE FAILED TO CALL THE ASSIGNED DEP FREQ WHICH IS WHY WE DIDN'T RECEIVE A QUICK RESPONSE. MY FO IS A RETIRED ACR CAPT WHO HAS ONLY FLOWN PART 121 AND IS NOT USED TO LOOKING FOR SATELLITE INFO; HE'S USED TO THE CHART'S BOLD PRINT PERTAINING TO HIM. HE ALSO HAD JUST LEARNED OF ACR CUTTING MORE PENSION AND HEALTH CARE FROM HIS RETIREMENT AND WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT NEAR FUTURE MONEY ISSUES. I SHOULD'VE TAKEN THE PLATE AND VERIFIED THE ALT AND FREQ INSTEAD OF BEING BRIEFED; I DON'T ALLOW IT ON ARRS SO I SHOULDN'T ALLOW IT ON DEPS; FURTHER BOTH PLTS SHOULD BE PRESENT FOR THE READING OF THE CLRNC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.